


Joke's on me

by Blue_and_green_Sock



Series: Joke's on me [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Battle of Hogwarts, Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Canon Divergence - Post-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Death Eater Draco Malfoy, Death Eaters, F/M, George Weasley - Freeform, Good Slytherins, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Second War with Voldemort, Slytherin, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, george weasley/oc - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:33:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 36,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29164260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_and_green_Sock/pseuds/Blue_and_green_Sock
Summary: Half-blood Natalia White knew she was in for a rough couple of years when she was sorted into Slytherin, but she never would have guessed that her main cause for pain and torment would be the Weasley twins, not her own house.But when she needs their help, they, in turn, borrow her talents, and it inevitably turns into more than just work. But who's the joke really on?Book one, years 4&5EXPLICIT LANGUAGE / SWEARS
Relationships: George Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Joke's on me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140890
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue

As soon as the Sorting Hat placed Natalia White in Slytherin, she knew it would be a tough couple of years. Half blood in Slytherin? Not really heard of, especially with their notoriously strict views on blood heritage.

Yet, she wasn't surprised at the hat's choice, so she was prepared well before she sat on the stool, but the jeering from the other houses - Gryffindor vastly outshining the other two - was difficult to face. Natalia knew she just had to hold her head high and keep her dignity in tact.

"Just ignore them. Clearly they don't understand our values."

She turned to face whoever had spoken to her, coming face to face with a blond kid who's been placed a few people before her. "The value of ambition or the other ones."

He rolled his eyes at that comment. "At being ambitious and not letting anything stand in our way to get what we want."

Natalia didn't quite know what to think about that, but he definitely seemed like trouble. "I'm Natalia. Natalia White, pleasure to meet you."

The boy introduced himself, "Draco Malfoy," and shook her hand with a smile.


	2. part 1 - 1 - cursing like a muggle

I've decided to make this book in two parts, the first being fourth year, the second being fifth. 

I've tried to make it as consistent as possible with the book and the movie, but as it's been a few years since I've read the books, it is, unfortunately, more based on the movie plot lines. There are a few things that are consistent with the books, where I've remembered something in enough detail to include it, and if there are any deviations from the original, please say. 

This is obviously an AU, Natalia is my character, the others are not. 

Enjoy :)

School hadn't even started yet and it seemed like things were already going south for Natalia. Not only had Death Eaters invaded the Quidditch World Cup, but they'd blown up her tent with the majority of her belongings in it - including her cat.

To save herself from being trampled in the stampede, she'd managed to escape to an already burnt-out area of the campsite to try and figure out what to do. With no way home until her aunt arrived to bring her back, and nothing except the clothes on her back and her wand, she was pretty hopeless about getting out with even her life.

Well, until Draco turned up screaming her name. "Nat! Natalia! Nat!"

She turned and ran towards him, and he noticed her just in time to catch her as she flung herself into his arms. "Draco, Jesus Christ. What are you doing here why aren't you already back at the manor?"

Draco couldn't find the words for what felt like forever, but eventually he managed to speak. "I knew you were here, and you'd already mentioned being annoyed about having to wait for someone to get you tomorrow, there was no way I could leave you in this."

Natalia felt his grip tighten around her slightly before he let go. "Thank you. That means a lot."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't get sentimental on me now, White, and do you really need to curse like a muggle?"

She couldn't help but laugh, the sound ringing clear through the abandoned grounds. "Cursing like a muggle is way more fun than like a wizard. Besides, I'm half muggle anyway, you know that."

Draco grimaced. "You love to remind me of that."

She smiled, turning her face to the sky before her eyes locked on the Death Eater-shaped cloud in the sky. "Oh. Oh god that can never mean anything good."

Draco glanced at it, not making eye contact. "We should get going before someone catches us here and accuses us of conjuring that. Especially with-" He didn't need to finish that sentence, Nat knew exactly what he meant.

"Come on, which way are we going?"


	3. part 1 - 2 - sure, just one

Back to school was interesting enough - what with that bloody Harry Potter getting himself in the middle of things at the world cup yet again (I mean who was surprised) - Natalia was just hoping for some form of normality this year.

No such luck. With the tri-wizard tournament taking place at Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang residing with them, things were sure to go stupendously wrong at some point in the year.

"Trust me," she whispered to Draco, trying not to let anyone else hear, "at the end of the year shit will hit the fan and Harry Potter is going to be in the centre of it all. Just you wait and see."

She could tell a few other students were trying to listen in on her hushed words by their confused glances, but it wasn't anything Natalia wasn't used to. Being a half-blood and friends with a Malfoy? She must have some guts. Never mind daring to be a Slytherin. That being said, it was in her blood, and while she was sick of living in her mother's shadow as a child, it was starting to grow on her as she realised the endless opportunities it had given her.

"Potter always has to be in the centre of everything. He's a bigger drama queen than you are."

Natalia slapped his arm, glaring at his laughs, tucking into the meal before them.

The two of them sat quietly and finished their meals before standing and leaving to go to the astronomy tower, their own private welcome-back tradition. It started in their second year, when Natalia was feeling alone and scared after the summer she'd had, and Draco had scoured the entire school looking for her, taking him nearly all night.

She sat on the windowsill, looking down on the grounds and the black lake where the Durmstrang boat was anchored. "I still don't get the whole world cup fiasco. Bit of a poor attempt at anything apart from terrorising kids if you ask me."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Did you cast the charms?"

Natalia chuckled, quickly casting a silencing charm around them, as well as a few other (maybe illegal) curses and charms to keep their conversation safe from eavesdroppers. "Now I have."

"Dad said they would try and find the Dark Lord but I feel they only did it because they knew he'd never be there. Deep down I think they're all nervous about what will happen when he comes back."

"I can tell you exactly what will happen."

Draco scoffed. "Yeah because your mum was so right in everything she said and did regarding Him."

She shot him a warning glance. "You and I both know she was blinded by faith. I will not make that mistake, and I'll be damned if you do too."

Draco was silent to that. He knew she was right, but at the same time, he wasn't sure he even wanted her to stop him if it came to it. It was risky, standing up to the Dark Lord, though he didn't doubt Natalia really would tell him no, he wasn't about to risk his life for her. "Natalia you are-"

"Stubborn, hard-headed, reckless-"

"Actually I was going to say you're like the sister I wish I never had." He laughed at her face, grabbing her arm and quickly pulling her back as she nearly slipped off the ledge. "But yes, you're all of the above."

Nat smirked. "You really do know how to break a girl's heart."

He turned red, muttering under his breath, so Natalia turned her attention to the room, where she saw the unmistakable blur of red hair.

"Draco." She hummed. "We're being watched."

He sneered, "Weasleys."

Calmly, they removed the charms and curses, making sure to disguise which ones they'd used as they were definitely against the rules, and stood with their backs to the window.

"Well if it isn't the infamous Weasley twins. You'd think after four years they'd know not to listen in on our conversations." Natalia laughed bitterly, casting revelio under her breath to show where they were stashed.

Draco took a breath, trying to remain composed. "I don't think they quite know how strong your jinxes can really be. Care to demonstrate?"

Natalia laughed again, pulling the twins out from their hiding spots.

"Ah come on Nat, it's just a bit of fun!" Fred grinned at her, though he couldn't quite distract her from whatever George had set off behind his back. With less than a second to spare, Draco cast a protection spell around the two of them just as a stink bomb was projected in their direction as well as about a tonne of red and gold glitter and powdered paint.

Nat blinked, not entirely sure how Draco had cast the charm so quickly, but the disappointed look on the twins' faces was good enough.

"Thanks." She sighed with relief.

Draco smiled. "Makes up for when you saved me that one time."

"Sure, just 'one'." Natalia scoffed.


	4. part 1 - 3 - midnight tradition

The first Friday of the year marked the Slytherin-Ravenclaw tradition of what was generally known as the Secret Midnight Quidditch Opening game. It was quite a mouthful, they'd admit, but Natalia and Draco were only second years when they created it; they organised the first one at the end of their first year with the help of the Slytherin Quidditch team and a few friends Nat had made in Ravenclaw.

So the majority of Slytherin house was huddled against the cold in the common room waiting for the scouts to return and let them know it was safe to venture out to the quidditch pitch.

It wasn't long, and Natalia and Draco helped to herd everyone out in bubbles until they themselves had to leave and make their way there.

They mounted their brooms and took their positions, the spectators all huddled together, the older students performing warming charms around them all, and the referee - Hagrid - let the game commence.  
Natalia, a chaser in the midnight games, had refused a position two years prior on the House Team as a chaser, primarily because it wasn't something she would enjoy competitively, and secondly because that would mean giving up her spot in the midnight games, for it was a rule that no one could ever play their official positions.  
Draco too had refused to become a chaser, though his real reason (surprise, it wasn't because of 'that bloody Potter having the limelight all the time') was because he preferred to play alongside Natalia.

Natalia felt the wind rush through her hair as she weaved in and out of everyone towards Ravenclaw's goals to score - that was, until a bludger hit her square in the chest knocking her off her broom.

She could feel the charms of the watchers slowing her fall, the game paused until she could be healed, and the Ravenclaw beaters rushing over to apologise.

"Natalia, Natalia, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for it to hit you so hard!" a young girl, probably a second year, was nearly in tears. Draco rushed to her side, already placing healing spell after healing spell onto her broken bones and bruised skin.

"It's ok," she panted, still trying to catch her breath, "it's ok Draco is incredible at healing because I get hurt every game, I'll be ok."

A ten-minute time out and Natalia was back on her feet, scoring half the goals for Slytherin that night, though the real star was the tiny first-year seeker they'd chosen who caught the snitch.

Natalia and Draco nodded, hanging back after everyone had left, sitting in the bleachers together. They were aware that there were enough rumours about them, but it didn't phase either one of them, and both families knew that they would never be involved with one another; the risks their children would have to face would be too great to ever justify the joining of houses.

"How's your mum doing?"

Natalia rested against Draco, casting a few warming spells around them so they didn't catch their death of cold. "She's barely there anymore. Ranting and raving mad as usual, but her eyes were empty and lost."

Draco sighed, wrapping an arm around her.

Natalia White.

His dad looked as if he'd seen a ghost when he mentioned her at home over Christmas his first year, though he didn't know why until he brought it up with her. Natalia White was a half-blood, her father being a muggle of no magical descent, and her mother being of the Pure-blood Deatheater Rosier Family. As a Death Eater herself, no one could ever figure out why Daphne Rosier had married a muggle, though it soon became clear that he was her gateway to picking off muggles and squibs alike.

"Father says you're more than welcome at Christmas if you choose, but the tournament will likely be a huge part of the celebrations. I'm staying, but you're more than welcome to-"

"No, I'll stay. The Yule Ball isn't something I'd miss." She smiled, staring out over the grounds, watching as Hagrid's light turned off. He always secretly came out to watch the games, hiding away somewhere, but they all knew; they could hear his cheers and complaints whenever someone fouled.

"It's so peaceful." Draco smiled, a rare occurrence, even with Nat.

Natalia nodded, feeling at home in the darkness.


	5. part 1 - 4 - high heaven

Second week in and Natalia was already tired of the strange looks from the younger years. It happened every year, though after Christmas usually things would die down with the first years. She'd thought that maybe this year, she'd get some kind of break with the whole tri-wizard tournament, but no such luck.

"I'm gonna skip breakfast this morning." Natalia sighed, feeling the stares on her back. The second years were just as bad this year too, though she warranted that to the fact that Draco had been so openly elitist last year and her blood status not matching those beliefs.

"No you're not." Blaise Zabini collapsed back into the sofa beside her, putting his feet up on the table. "We'll shield you from the stares."

Draco slapped his feet off the table, muttering about etiquette (which was amusing to Natalia as he often put his feet up on his own table at home). "I'll get a group of us together and we'll hide you from the stares."

"No. No, it's fine, besides, I have letters to write and no better time to write them than breakfast."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "just leave her, clearly she's made up her mind on the matter."

Draco looked torn, but with a little encouragement from Nat, they left her alone in the common room.

She sighed, pulling out her neat little box with all of her parchment and letter paper in, taking a quill and ink from her desk and setting herself up on a secluded table in the corner.

"Well well well, if it isn't Natalia White." Someone dropped into the chair opposite her. Natalia didn't look up. "You hear what happened at the world cup?"

No response.

"Oh come on Nat! I'm just trying-"

"Do not call me Nat." She could feel the anger bubbling inside her. She glared up at the sixth year sitting in front of her.

"Hey," he held his hands up as if to surrender, "I'm just trying to be nice."

Natalia laughed bitterly, finishing her letter. "No. No, you just want information, well let me save your breath. No, I don't care about Malfoy's outbursts last year, nor do I condone them. I don't know why the World cup disaster happened, nor does Malfoy, neither of our families were a part of it seeing as we're not Death Eaters, and no, I don't care if you don't believe me. Did I miss anything?"

He was quietly laughing, and Nat thought for a moment about cursing him to high heaven, but decided there were too many witnesses so instead left, making her way up to the owlery. She had a half hour before Charms class, and though she knew she'd be pushing it hiding out in the owlery, it was the only place she really felt safe from all the stares and judgemental looks from other houses.  
Natalia wasn't really an owl person, but Draco always let her use his eagle owl, Dista.

"Hey Dizzy." Nat smiled, taking him from his perch. Draco often complained Nat was teaching him the wrong name but she thought it was cute. "Can you take this to my dad for me?" she attached it to his leg and carried him to the window where he took off, presumably in the direction of her childhood home.

"Well well."

Natalia heard a familiar voice behind her.

"If it isn't Natalia White."

Weasleys.

Nat turned, knowing she was cornered. This was never going to end well. "If it isn't Fred and George Weasley."

They laughed, and Natalia noticed a distinct lack of maliciousness. "That was good, don't you think that was good George?"

George just laughed in response. "Well, we just need to send some letters on their way, so we'll just get on with that, huh?"

Natalia shrugged, not bothering to pay them much attention. Her mind was on other matters.

They seemed to be genuine about the letters, so she leaned her elbows on the window ledge and leaned out to stare over the grounds. Early September was always pretty, right before everything started dying, rotting on the floor in ate October-November time.

Not a second later and Natalia could feel her socks getting wet, and looked down to see the floor being completely flooded around her. "Oh Jesus Christ."

She looked up at the Twins who were safely perched on one of the supporting beams in the roof grinning like fools. Though Natalia concluded that she was, in fact, the fool for ever trusting the twins. She made a snap decision, sitting the two of them square in the chest with spells muttered under her breath, knocking the two of them back straight into the water and winding them as they landed flat on their backs.

She carefully walked through the water, managing to make her way to the stairs down without falling or getting any wetter than she already was.

"Natalia White!" She heard the twins cursing behind her and turned to see them dripping in water and glaring.

She waved, running off down the stairs.


	6. part 1 - 5 - found you once

"You're late." Draco raised an eyebrow at her as she practically fell into the seat next to him.

"Only just." She smiled.

He eyed her warily. "Does it have anything to do with the fact the Weasley twins disappeared when they saw us at breakfast without you?"

Natalia smiled. "Something I'm sure they currently regret. By the way, I'm going to need your help to break whatever charm they put on that damn lake."

Draco looked puzzled for a moment before becoming engrossed in the lesson. He was a sucker for learning, not that he'd ever admit it.  
Natalia didn't care much for charms, but it was mandatory (not that it stopped her from refusing history of magic) and Draco refused to let her drop out of two subjects that he said were "completely and utterly necessary to uphold the standards of the wizarding world".

An hour later, and Natalia was about ready to hit her head on the table from boredom, the only thing keeping her entertained being the tiny drawings she quietly charmed to move around her page.

"Finally, an interesting subject!" Natalia declared once he was free of the classroom.

Draco rolled his eyes but didn't say anything in response as Blaise and Pansy fell into step beside them.

"Herbology? You don't like charms but you like plants?" Pansy smirked. "No wonder you're not as powerful as-"

"You want to test that? I will curse you to kingdom come if you like, we'll see just how powerful I am then." Natalia laughed, keeping it light but still earning a few warning glances from Blaise. Regardless, it did the trick and Pansy shut her mouth.

The four of them followed the crowd of Slytherins and Gryffindors to the greenhouses, cringing a little as baby mandrake cries could be heard from the far greenhouse.  
Natalia smiled at the memories of taking care of mandrakes in their early years but didn't have much time to dwell on the memories as Professor Sprout dove right into the lesson.

**

"If I have to hear any more about the right way to harvest a plant I'm doing to tear my ear off." Blaise groaned as they left the greenhouse for their break.

Natalia just laughed, but noticed Pansy rolling her eyes. She definitely needed to be put back in her place, and Natalia knew exactly how. "Ok, um, I've gotta go talk to Professor Babbling about some runes I don't quite understand yet so um... yeah, I'll catch you in potions!"

Natalia waved and ran off, hoping to catch the Weasley twins before break was over.

She'd admit, it wasn't particularly difficult to find them, especially since their little stunt left them completely infamous with everyone, not just Hogwarts students.

"Well well well, if it isn't Natalia White."

"Come to ask us to fix your shoes and socks?" The twins laughed, and for a split second, Natalia thought about cursing them instead.

"No, I already found out how to do that."They looked impressed. She wasn't about to tell them that Draco had had to do it for her though. "Um, could you-" She stopped as she heard footsteps and the unmistakable whine of Pansy Parkinson. "Oh for God's sake." She grabbed Fred and George and pulled them with her back behind a corner away from prying eyes, waiting until the footsteps had gone.

Fred and George looked amused, but waited for Nat to speak.

"I need your help putting that back in its place." She glared down the hallway that Pansy had disappeared down.

Fred grinned, glancing at George. "Well Georgie, looks like the little Slytherin needs our help! What do you think?"

George grinned slyly. "Exactly what you're thinking, George."

Natalia glared at the two of them. "Nope, ok, no, I can't deal with this, forget I said anything." She tried to push past them, but they were relentless when they wanted to be.

"We never said we wouldn't help. But we'll need something in return."

"What?" She asked tentatively.

George shrugged. "We heard you're good at... different types of magic."

"Runes, transfiguration, potions.."

"Curses."

Natalia was suddenly paying much more attention to the two than she was thirty seconds ago. "What? Where have you heard that?"

The twins chuckled, exchanging looks. "Around. You see, Fred here-"

"George." Natalia corrected, then widened her eyes when she realised what she'd just done. "What the actual fuck?"

George raised an eyebrow, but Fred carried on as if nothing happened. "Fred here has heard that your curses hold a power rumoured even more powerful than some top death eaters."

Natalia stumbled over her words, not entirely sure what to say in response. "Just- just because that's what you heard doesn't mean there's any truth in it."

George laughed. "I heard you practising some, how should I say this Fred?"

"Colourful?"

"Colourful curses in the astronomy tower last year, one can only assume came from Dark-"

"They came from books and educational resources in the library so you can stop with the goddamn rumours that I'm from some filthy death eater pureblood family." Natalia snarled, smirking as the twins took a step back.

"Well."

"Nevertheless."

"We need some of those for some of our new prank ideas."

Natalia stopped. Really? That seemed harmless enough, and she'd definitely know if the curses were too strong to use for anything supposed to be harmless. No one in the school knew curses like she did. "If that's all you need, deal. But no one, and I mean no one-" She drew her wand pointing it at each twin with each word, "knows about this little arrangement. Or I'll use those "colourful" curses on the two of you."

They nodded, seemingly not caring about her threat, but Natalia knew it stuck.

"Good." She stood straight, pocketing her wand. "I'll meet you after dinner."

"Where?" They said simultaneously, watching her walk away to her next class.

Natalia laughed, a sound somewhere between amusement and hatred. "I'll find you. I found you once I can do it again."


	7. part 1 - 6 - mistakes?

Natalia did, true to her word, find the Twins after dinner, using a spell to stick them in one spot, finding it amusing when they pretended they were just standing there as everyone passed them.

"You two ok there? Need my help?" Natalia laughed, walking out of the shadowed alcove.

The Weasleys smiled, acting as though they were completely fine in their current situation.

"Well, if you don't need my help, I suppose-"

"Ok, but tell us what this is? Never heard of something that entirely roots you to the spot." Fred asked, George agreeing immediately.

Natalia smiled, undoing the curse muttering the incantation under her breath. "I created it. I think."

The twins exchanged glances but didn't press the matter. "Anyway. You need our help."

She hummed, walking down the corridor towards the staircase. "All in due time." She didn't turn to see if they were following, it was a little obvious they were, especially with their curiosity of her curses.

She led them to the seventh floor, where the room of requirement was hidden. She closed her eyes and walked back and forth three times and the door appeared before them. "We only talk about anything in here, away from little eavesdroppers." She raised her voice slightly and smiled a little as footsteps hurriedly moved away from them.

She opened the door, ushering them in before closing it behind her. "Ok. First, we deal with Pansy, then we deal with whatever you want curses for."

They agreed, grinning, and pulling out a few sheets of parchment, piecing them together to create their plan that somehow they'd already created. "So we kind of came up with something. It's completely Pansy-pants oriented-"

"What are you, five?" Natalia wrinkled her nose, secretly amused.

"Yes," George answered, carrying on with the plan. "We have here a list of all of our products-in-making, we thought we could use her as our little guinea-pig!"

Natalia looked at the two of them before studying the plan once more. It wasn't bad, if she was honest, needed a few tweaks but it wasn't bad. "Ok, tomorrow night, this goes into action. First we need to actually fix all the mistakes you've made-"

"Mistakes?"

"And then we need to practise our timing because while you two are a solid duo finishing each others thoughts, I can hardly stand the two of you and us working together will be a disaster if we don't attempt to rehearse."

Fred and George looked amused, though they agreed to meet after curfew in the astronomy tower.

They parted, and it was all Nat could do to not wonder what on earth she was doing.  
Her mother had gone on rants and raves for hours on end about the treacherous Weasley family, how they betrayed their blood and magic by being muggle-lovers. Not that Nat ever agreed with her, but if her mother knew she was working with the twins...

If the twins found out who her mother really was. It was a wonder she'd managed to keep it all a secret for four years, but with the Malfoy's help and money, anything seemed possible. Besides, it didn't take too much effort to convince people she came from a pureblood family when she was always staying with Draco, even if it was common knowledge she was a half-blood.

Sighing, she entered the common room, nearly shrieking when Draco immediately started interrogating her on her whereabouts.

"Chill, Draco, I was just trying to escape the first years." She laughed, but he didn't buy it. Not entirely, anyway.

"You and I both know that no matter what you don't miss study time. Besides, you said you'd help me with herbology." He whined and Natalia sighed.

She contemplated telling him for a second, but dismissed the thought as quickly as it came; she'd never hear the end of it if she did, and there was no way she was putting up with that from Draco. "I'll write some of your paper for you. But no more than half, and I'm walking you through it at breakfast."

He smirked, though she knew he was pleased with the compromise.

"Come on, I want to finish that new book you bought me." She pulled him to the sofa by his wrist and settled against the arm with her knees to her chest.


	8. part 1 - 7 - only part one

Natalia leaned against the wall of the seventh-floor corridor as if she really couldn't be bothered to be there. It was a skill she'd picked up from being around Draco all the time, he said, but she wasn't sure if they'd managed to somehow teach it to each other.  
It was Wednesday lunch, their last time to practise together before they convinced Pansy she was losing her mind.

"Well well well," she heard a familiar voice to her left.

"If it isn't Natalia White." And there was his double.

She laughed, the twins still unable to tell what it meant, "you're late."

They shrugged, not wanting to admit the reason, and instead breezed past her into the room of requirement for one last time.

She sighed, following them in, absentmindedly twirling her wand between her fingers before the twins showed her the specially made charmed boxes they were going to deliver to Pansy in the morning at breakfast. Natalia grinned, eyes twinkling with maliciousness.

George wasn't sure whether to take a step back for fear of being accidentally cursed or not, and Fred raised an eyebrow at him, clearly thinking the same.

"These look fantastic guys! Damn, that's some good spellwork."

They simply rolled their eyes. "Did you figure out how to make it move?"

Natalia smirked and nodded, pointing her wand between the twins, muttering a simple curse and a floating eye popped between them. She focused on it, moving her wand in tiny circular motions to make it spin around and then moved her wand, slowly, smiling as the floating eye followed. "It takes a lot of concentration though, that's the only negative."

Fred and George were impressed, either way, smiling as they went through it all again.

"I'm starving, probably should have eaten something at lunch." Natalia rolled her eyes at herself, the echos of Draco in her ears about her appalling eating habits. Nevertheless, he always made sure she had snacks for the day, usually being hazelnuts - Nat's favourite - so she pulled the packet out of her pocket and crunched on them for the rest of their little meeting.

"The only thing now is getting into the Slytherin Common room later tonight, you know how the portal feels about us since... well, second year."

Nat wasn't sure she wanted to know, but luckily for them, she'd already thought of that. She simply pointed her wand at one of the Twins, muttered a spell under her breath and he transformed into a dark-haired boy in Slytherin robes.

George flinched a little, not sure what Nat had done, but when he realised he started creating a fuss with Fred. Natalia wrinkled her nose at it, not a fan of commotions.

"Why didn't you tell us you could do this before we tried the ageing potion?"

"Because," she crunched another hazelnut, "it doesn't affect your age. It's simple stuff, not enough to fool complex magic."

They looked doubtful but didn't press the matter, and Natalia removed the enchantment quickly. "Ok, I'll see you in the outside corridors at midnight."

And they parted ways, making sure no one saw them together as they walked through the corridors.

**

True to their word, Fred and George were waiting for her by the corner in their PJs, making sure to stay out of sight of any prefects or teachers.

Natalia transfigured them both, giving George dark hair and sharper features, and Fred light hair, not really needing to change his face all too much - she had discovered that people didn't pay much attention to just one twin going about their business, so long as they weren't doing anything shady.

She opened the portal through the wall and they walked through, setting up the common room ready: half-empty boxes of sweets identical to the ones being sent to Pansy so suspicions weren't raised, charming portraits and photos to have any eyes present slightly enlarged to freak her out even more.

Then the boys hid down the boy's corridor while Nat crept to Pansy's door and whispered the floating eye curse directly above her bed. She gripped the beta decoy they'd created and just hoped it worked well enough for what she needed. She set it free, pointed towards Pansy's bed where it settled under the bed before going off, making a semi-quiet toot every now and then.

It took a minute, but eventually Pansy stirred. This was where Natalia needed to concentrate. She slowly moved the floating eye towards the still half-asleep girl and held her breath.  
Given that the eye was pretty big, it was near impossible to miss, and as soon as Pansy caught sight of it she gave out the most blood-curdling shriek Nat had ever heard.

It took all in her power to stop herself laughing, making the eye disappear as soon as Pansy turned the lights on, quickly scampering away towards her own room, acting as though she'd just come out to see what the noise was about.

She made eye contact with the twins, both of whom were giggling to each other, and had to bite the inside of her cheek to stifle the laughter. He looked across and saw Draco standing there, not looking pleased about being woken up in the middle of the night and smiled at him from across the hall, which he surprisingly returned.

Natalia could feel the exhaustion setting in, motioning for Fred and George to escape, and she quietly removed the enchantment as soon as they were out of the portal. At least part one of her revenge was complete.


	9. part 1 - 8 - don't wait up

Natalia was right, of course, that bloody Harry Potter would be in the centre of it all again this year. Well really, when wasn't he?  
But she did take great delight in taking her winnings from the idiots in her house that had dared to challenge her on the fact Potter would wind up centre of attention. It definitely earned her a few dirty looks, but she was used to that, and promised to buy Draco some of his favourite sweets at Honeydukes.

It caused quite a commotion, but half of Hogwarts just seemed bored, used to it by now. 

Draco sneered at anyone who dared speak of it around them, but Natalia was grateful for the distraction it caused; at least the rumours about her would cease now people had something actually interesting to talk about.

They quickly finished and regrouped back in the common room. 

Pansy hadn't quite forgiven anyone for the pranks pulled on her making her look unhinged and slightly insane to the entire house, and definitely suspected Nat, but Draco had banned her from speaking about any of it - and especially accusing Nat - by cursing her tongue-tied whenever she tried. 

"Ok so in total," Blaise finished counting the last of Nat's winnings, "you have one-hundred and twelve galleons."

Natalia grinned, opening up a charmed keep-safe box and dumping it all in. "Well that will do just fine." 

Pansy eyed her jealously, so Nat made a mental note to leave the box in Draco's room that night to save Pansy's thieving hands from the layers of curses. "I suppose you've done well for yourself."

Draco shot her a warning glance, but Nat just grinned at the comment. 

Blaise put his feet up on the sofa between Draco and Pansy, hands supporting him sitting on the table. "Could make good money out of that you know Natalia." 

Natalia shrugged nonchalantly, but said, "if I could find a way to convince everyone to be as stupid as they were at the beginning of the year I'd only need to do it once and be set for life."

Pansy scoffed, "it's not stupid to assume there's no way that Potter wouldn't be at the centre of it all for one year for Merlin's sake. Especially with the tri-wizard cup, and the seventeen-year-old age limit."

Blaise laughed, taking his feet down and leaning towards Nat, "how much you get off her then?" 

"Oh, what was it Pans? Ten galleons?" She laughed, high-fiving Blaise in celebration of her hand over Pansy Parkinson. 

Natalia could feel the poison dripping from Pansy's glare, but it didn't bother her. There weren't many people that could bother Nat, and most people found out the hard way. She'd decided long before she arrived at Hogwarts on those boats that no one would intimidate her, she'd never follow in blind faith or let people get to her.   
And she'd stuck to that. Mostly.

"Well, if we're done congratulating me, Draco, please keep that in your room. I don't care where, keep it with your dirty socks for all I care, but keep it away from thieving hands." She stood and stretched. 

Blaise frowned, glancing between Draco and Natalia. "Where are you going? It's curfew in ten minutes." 

Draco smirked, taking the keep-safe box and keeping in on his knee. "She likes to wander. Besides," he sighed, gaze softening as it landed on her, "it's raining. And Natalia likes to walk in the rain." 

The ghost of a smile appeared on her face for a split second. 

"I'll see you all at breakfast." She turns to wink at Blaise with a cheeky grin, "don't wait up."


	10. part 1 - 9 - not her imagination

Draco was right: Natalia did like walking in the rain. 

But it wasn't for the reasons he thought. In fact, it was the one thing about Natalia that no one other than herself knew. 

Admittedly, Draco was close, but not close enough. He thought it was because it reminded her of Azkaban, where her mother was, reminded her of their short visitations.   
In reality, it was because it calmed her, reminded her of when she was a small child.   
One of her earliest memories was sitting by the window wrapped in blankets with her parents - yes, really, both of them - drinking warm milk and watching the storms roll over them all. Thinking that as long as she was inside with her mum and dad she was safe, she was happy and content with life.

Before everything went to shit, before she realised what her mother was doing, when she was too young to understand the rants and raves and her dad trying to defend his own birth. 

So she stared out over the grounds, the rain making the grounds too wet, running off the leaves and into the black lake. 

Natalia liked to walk in the rain now, letting it wash over her, soaking her to the bone, so she did. Walking across the grounds, feeling the rain on her face, in her hair, she felt at peace. As though no one on earth could bother her, not right now. No one could break this trance she was in. 

No one other than the fucking Weasley twins, who were barrelling toward her. She decided they hadn't seen her when they got close enough for her to hear laughing, shouting and a whole bunch of curse word that was definitely not in English. 

She simply rolled her eyes and dodged out of the way, out of sight. Not that it was hard, it was difficult enough to see twenty meters even when running wasn't involved.

She laughed as a few Beauxbatons students chased the Weasley twins through the grounds, cloaks over their hair to prevent it from getting wet. She pointed her wand at the Twins, muttering under her breath her own curse, and immediately they were stuck where they were. Nat giggled quietly as she heard them yelling her name out, made a mental note to tease them about it later. She let the disgruntled students catch up a little more before pulling the curse away, turning and walking under the trees by the Black Lake. 

She waited, walked until she was out of the shadow of the trees, until the rain fell freely on her face once more, and then she sat down by the bank, staring out across the water.   
The sky lit up for a moment before the waves of thunder washed over her, and she watched until she lost track of time and then-

"Well well well. If it isn't Natalia White." 

She smiled, a little startled, but refused to show it, and waited for the double act to kick in. And then it didn't.

She turned, not standing or bothering to make any kind of indication she was welcoming him. "I suppose you're here to reprimand me about cursing you two?" 

He laughed, charming the ground so he could sit on it without getting wet (Natalia would never admit, but she was slightly jealous of the strength in his charms) (it also gave her the indication that it was George, as Fred was better at transfiguration) and followed her gaze across the lake. "No. It was quite clever, a good prank." 

She rolled her eyes, "such high praise coming from one of the masters of pranking." 

He laughed, "you really do have a sharp tongue." 

Natalia turned to face him, studying him and realising she was, in fact, right - it was George. When had she known about their slight differences. "I have my wits about me, especially when it comes to the infamous Weasley twins."

"Well, there was that one time." 

She turned away from him, biting her tongue. 

They sat in silence for a while before Natalia realised George wasn't getting rained on. 

"That's a neat little trick. Charm." Natalia was probably spending too much time in the muggle world, if she dared come out with these sayings at the Manor... well, someone would have something to say about it.

George grinned, humming a little. "Simple enough charm. Decided that since you come here often, don't even put a cloak on, you don't need my little umbrella."

She refused to react but wondered how he knew. But she supposed she better react. "I like the rain."

"I know." 

"Do you?"

He shrugged, not replying. 

"Why are you here?"

"Well." He laughed, but not like before. This laugh was more like the one he used after a prank on someone. "You may have been right."

Natalia blinked.

"I might have come here to reprimand you. No, wrong word, more like get you back."

"Did it go to plan." She already knew the answer, she could tell it in his face.

"No. Instead, maybe the joke's on me."

Natalia tasted blood in her mouth, and for a second she wondered if she'd accidentally cursed herself, but quickly realised she'd bitten through her cheek. Draco might have to heal that in the morning. She turned to respond, but was met with an empty space, and for a second wondered if maybe she'd imagined the whole thing, but the grass next to her was dry, and the rain couldn't touch it.


	11. part 1 - 10 - eating curses

Draco could tell there was something on Natalia's mind the second she sat down for breakfast and stole Blaise's croissant. "Um... Nat?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow, but just took another one from the pile and buttered it again. 

She couldn't quite figure out what George had meant last night, though really she wasn't sure if it had completely happened. Maybe she was dreaming. 

"Nat!" Draco shoved her arm to get her attention. 

She looked at him, confused.

"You're muttering curses." He nodded to her plate that now had traces of electrical currents through. 

She shoved her wand in her pocket and turned her plate over much to Draco's disgust. ("You're going to get crumbs everywhere Natalia. Have some class.")

"Don't you have ancient runes first period?" Blaise asked, trying to distract everyone from whatever Natalia was going through.

Relieved for some form of normality, Natalia smiled and nodded. "I do, we're working on the Hydra, how to use it and harness the power in the Ancient scripts that use it."

Draco let them have that conversation; he had no clue where to even start with Runes, much to his mother's disappointment, but his arithmancy skills made up for it. Plus, As long as he could rely on Nat to save him if he ever needed ancient runes, he was fine. 

Pansy decided to join them, attempting to get between Natalia and Draco. He'd never understood her jealousy of the two, considering they were more like family than anything else, but then again, Pansy was Pansy and he didn't really understand her at all. 

"Draco," She drawled, and Natalia immediately stopped talking to mimic throwing up, making Blaise laugh. "I was just wondering if maybe you'd like to come to Hogsmede with me on Saturday?" 

Natalia froze, making eye contact with Blaise, half a smile caught in time. 

Draco felt like he had a heart attack. "Um, sorry Pans, but I've already made plans with Natalia and Blaise to help spend the bet money." 

She turned and glared at Blaise and Natalia, who were still frozen in their gaze trying to figure out what to do, before storming off back to her other friends. 

Draco stared after her for a second before turning to the other two. "So we now have plans, um-"

"Well clearly!" Natalia laughed, movement by the door catching her eye. And then she remembered what had happened the previous night at dinner, and realised that she definitely should stop the infamous duo before they hospitalised half the school. "Um, I think I left my Runes homework on my desk so I'm gonna go get that, I'll see you two in transfiguration."

"Wait, I'll walk you!" Blaise stood, catching her arm.

"No," her breath caught in her throat as she looked down at his hand on her wrist, "no, honestly, stay and finish your breakfast. I really can't deal with you complaining all through transfiguration you're hungry because you didn't have a decent enough breakfast."

Draco smirked, muttering about how she had a point, so Blaise let go of her arm and she ran off, towards the two red-heads making trouble.

"Hey! Troublemakers!" She called, not wanting to run, but not wanting to lose them either. 

"Do you hear something Fred?"

"Not at all George." 

So they kept walking. 

"I will hex the two of you into next fucking year if you don't stop right there." She chuckled as they immediately stopped as if they'd hit a brick wall. She walked, fairly quickly, towards them, pulling the packages out of their hands and checking the labels. "Yeah, sorry boys, these are confiscated."

They looked at her confused, eyeing the crowds. 

Nat glanced around them, before shoving Fred into George and into the alcove they fell. "Look, there might be a side effect to one of the curses we didn't see coming."

They glanced at each other, still silent, and for a moment she wondered if she'd tongue-tied them accidentally. "What kind of side effect?"

"Well, Justin might be in the hospital wing currently hallucinating giant caterpillars." Natalia tried to keep it light, but the situation was anything but. 

The twins groaned. "Well, that's that entire batch gone then. How didn't you know?"

Natalia glared at them, quietly casting reducto under her breath at the boxes of cursed sweets. "I've never fed a curse to anyone before. You might be better with charms, they seem to be a lot safer." 

The twins rolled their eyes, but couldn't say anything before Natalia had dived into the crowd of people getting to their first class.


	12. part 1 - 11 - world cup take two

Natalia sat back against her chair, scowling at the hedgehog on her desk.

"Nat come on, glaring at it won't transfigure it into a pincushion."

"I can't turn it into a damn pincushion." She said through gritted teeth, not facing her partner.  
She could feel the tension before someone else took her spot beside her. 

"Natalia focus your goddamn mind! It's been all over the place since before breakfast." 

She turned to Draco, glaring him down from his high-horse. "At least I have something to focus on other than creating some dumb little pin to traumatise bloody Harry Potter." Nat regretted it as soon as she said it, but it wasn't as if she could take it back.

Surprisingly, Draco simply rolled his eyes, repeating "focus Natalia, you know you're stronger than this" over and over until she was sure he'd be saying it in his sleep. 

Finally, she managed it, letting out a sigh of relief. It wasn't as though she could tell Draco about what was on her mind, but it was really messing with her head trying to figure out what it meant, and it was never anything good with those two. 

But it was driving her crazy, wondering when they were going to strike next - because they always did - now that she had ended their little agreement. 

She left, running out of transfiguration as soon as the class ended, much to the bewilderment of Draco and Blaise.

It didn't take long to find them - or rather, for them to find her. 

"Well well well."

"If it isn't the little Slytherin."

Natalia smiled, turning slowly. She could hear the sly gins in their voices. "If it isn't the red-haired duo."

They didn't react, but she could tell they wanted something. 

"Well?" She raised an eyebrow, dropping the smile and shifting her weight.

The two of them shrugged. "Wanted to know when the next... thing was."

Nat blinked. "We don't have that anymore, I already told you."

"Yeah, well,"

"We were thinking,"

"Well, I was talking to Freddie here-"

"And we think we have an alternative."

"Because let's not forget, Natalia." George grinned as though he was enjoying her discomfort.

"You do owe us." 

She cringed at their talking in sync. "We will figure this out later. When I'm not late."

They laughed, spinning something in their hands, though she didn't have enough time to react before suddenly everything turned pitch black and suddenly everyone was shoving- 

It was as if she was right back at the world cup, everyone causing havoc, creating a stampede, and it didn't help that the corridor was full of first years anyway.   
She pushed herself against the wall, trying not to be taken away, closed her eyes and thought about the rain, tried to get to somewhere she felt safe, away from anything connected to-

"Natalia!" Someone screamed, using an amplification charm of some sorts. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Draco was there somewhere looking for her. She made her way slowly towards where it came from, shoving first and second years out of the way, falling directly into Blaise.

"Weasleys." She gasped, grabbing onto whoever she could to steady herself. It wasn't particularly easy in the crowd at only 5 foot three. 

Draco clenched his jaw, though she really had to squint to see him. "Let's go."


	13. part 1 - 12 - charms

As November really set in and it got colder, Natalia found herself casting more and more heating spells around herself. Charms were never her forte, wandwork never really was unless it was Dark Arts, something she hated to admit.

But it began raining more and more and she'd never felt more at peace, sitting in the rain, staring across the Black lake. Pretending nothing had changed.

But it had. Mr Malfoy Sr had sent word over that her mother was now asking for her, repeating her name over and over, the only thing she would talk about. Ranting and raving- But Natalia knew better. Her mother knew something, wanted Natalia involved, that's all she kept saying when she visited. That it would be good, that they would make the world right again, theirs.

She hadn't told anyone, no one knew - she assumed the Malfoys knew but refused to tell Draco.

Natalia cast another heating charm around her as she could feel herself shivering, but it had little effect. She sighed, accepting her fate.

Maybe she should join her mother if the only thing she was good at was the dark arts.

"If it isn't Natalia White."

And then she realised why that wasn't anything she was interested in. "Weasley." She spoke softly, not wanting to break the silence, ruin the peace.

He charmed the ground once more, and once again Natalia was a little jealous. "I've been demoted now?"

She didn't respond, refused to look at him.

He smiled softly, though she couldn't quite see it. "I suppose I deserve that."

"Why are you here?"

He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Freddie was no help either, falling asleep on the sofa and all."

Natalia gave in, turned to look at him, studied his face. Nothing really gave him away, he seemed completely neutral. Softer than usual, but still neutral.

"Then I heard the rain and thought maybe I should see if you're here again. He turned to look at her, eyes shadowed.

"Here I am." Nat couldn't quite speak louder than a whisper, the cold having settled in, so she tried another heating charm. To no avail.

George smiled softly, pointing his wand at her. "Focillo."

Immediately she stopped shivering, feeling as though she was sat in front of a fire wrapped in blankets.

"What, no thank you?" George teased.

"Thank you." She whispered, nudging him with her elbow.

He laughed, but she couldn't quite figure it out. She wondered if that's what her laugh sounded like to him.

They sat in silence before one of them worked up the courage to say something.

"Natalia."

"George."

He sighed. "You've been... strange. Off. For a few days now."

She looked at him again. "How- nevermind. Was there a question in there?"

He laughed, and it sounded genuine, making eye contact with her. "What's been going on?" He asked, still smiling.

She shrugged. "It's heavy stuff. Not something I want to dump on your shoulders. Besides," she laughed, making sure he couldn't tell what it meant, "you're a Weasley. I'm a Slytherin."

His gaze never wavered, but she did see confusion flash across his eyes. "I'm still sat here, aren't I?"

She sighed. "Family stuff, nothing to bother anyone else with."

He didn't try and press it.

"And besides, you were throwing my magic off way earlier than all my family drama."

He laughed, "wait, really? Damn, what did I do?"

"Really?" She laughed, genuinely for once, "with the whole 'joke's on me' thing? You ask what you did?"

He grinned, but there was something different about it. Natalia was used to the mischievous, laughing grin, but this was... different Like he was smiling because he was happy, rather than laughing at someone. "I never meant to throw you off. Though, your charms definitely need work."

She scoffed, "your everything needs work. Especially," she smiled, pointing her wand at his nose, "your defence, and your dark arts."

"I don't want to know dark arts?"

She rolled her eyes, lying down, the dew and ice soaking her clothes even more if it was possible.

"Let me charm the ground, please, so you don't die from a cold or something."

Nat wrinkled her nose. "What did you mean?"

He sighed, casting another heating spell on her, and on himself. "It just meant... the joke was on me. I went out to take revenge - light revenge I might add - and walked away feeling like... I don't know, maybe that conversation meant something."

Natalia smiled. "That's what it meant?"

He nodded, not daring to look at her.

"And I was all worried it meant you two were coming after me or something."

He laughed, shaking his head. "You know, I always wondered - how come you're in Slytherin?"

That made her sit up. "What does that mean?"

"Well. You're not exactly the typical Slytherin, being a half-blood and all."

She grinned, leaning back on her hands. "That is not a story I don't want to tell you."

He shrugged.

"Yet."

He smiled softly, barely speaking above a whisper. "Yet."


	14. part 1 - 13 - suspicions

Nat stood, shoulders square, facing the door the room od requirement had provided them.

"Ok, now focus, Natalia." George sat back on a chair to the right of her. Having nearly been caught in a spell-gone-wrong last time, there was no way he was getting in her way again.

She gripped her wand, glaring at the open door. "Colloportus!"

The door moved slightly.

"Hey! That's better than before."

She sighed, dropping her wand. "I can't get this. Charms have always defeated me."

Natalia wasn't entirely sure why she was even there, really. For some reason, when George had offered to help with her charms work that night, she accepted - even though she never accepted Draco's offers in the past. Maybe because it was just George Weasley.  
Regardless, she couldn't figure it out, though he seemed to be doing ok teaching her: she'd already mastered Accio, even for things far out of sight, so that had to be something.

He stood, making sure to stay out of range of her wand. "Here, like this." George took her wrist, pointed her wand at the door. "With purpose. Imagine," he chuckled, "imagine me and Fred are on the opposite side coming through to prank you with another lake or something equally inconveniencing, and the only way to stop us is by locking that door."

Natalia raised an eyebrow, sceptical. "Fine. One last try." She held her position, took a deep breath, "Colloportus!"

George laughed in delight as the door slammed shut, locking itself. "Merlin's pants Nat!"

She raised an eyebrow. "What have I said about calling me Nat."

George shrugged, still pleased with the outcome. "Anyway, we've been here for nearly an hour, we should probably go."

"Mm. Draco's already suspicious of the time I spend practising those damn curses for you and figuring out how to change them."

"For me?" George feigned surprise. "Well Natalia, if that's really how you feel about me, I'm sorry but I'm too young!"

Natalia looked at him in disgust.

"Ouch. That look hurts." He pouted, but it made him laugh.

"I'm younger than you, dummy."

"Dummy?"

Natalia shook her head, making sure the corridor was clear before they left, parting ways and not daring to even acknowledge each other.

She made her way quickly to the dungeons, where Draco was waiting for her outside the wall, arms crossed, looked bored as usual. And slightly pissed off.

"You've been missing for an hour." He stated.

Natalia smiled. "I was studying with a few Ravenclaw friends."

He shook his head, "no. I saw Loony in the forbidden forest, you weren't studying."

She froze, the smile still on her face. "Ok, so Luna wasn't studying ith us-"

"Loony is the only one who keeps the peace between you and Cho Chang."

"Yes, and Cho wasn't there either. Are we done with this interrogation."

Draco glared at her, so she made a reminder to get his favourite snacks delivered to his dorm, before they both entered the common room.

Natalia refused to look at anyone, going directly to her dorm and pulling out the countless notebooks she had on curses and modifications. She supposed she'd better get something done tonight, even if it did mean pulling away from Draco even more.


	15. part 1 - 14 - bets

Natalia had already made a whole network of bets before the day of the first task, knowing what the first task was and what kind of power Harry really possessed.  
Draco of course didn't care. Not that Natalia minded him not caring, but he was such a drag about it sometimes.

"Really, I don't know how you could possibly think Potter of all people could beat a fucking dragon." Pansy laughed at her, placing her bet with Natalia despite Blaise's warnings about what would happen.

Nat just smiled, and thanked her for her bet, settling into her seat next to Blaise, who wasn't shy in his attempts of physical affection or flirting.

Of course, Natalia would never admit what she really thought of Harry Potter - not in front of anyone except maybe her cat. Granted it was annoying that every year the whole world seemed to revolve around him, but by God did he have power. More than she did, definitely, and probably more than Draco. Well, in the school-taught stuff, anyway.

Of course, he was such a dipshit that he only really thought he was good at once thing, which Natalia had accounted for. Well, that and she was in the library trying to figure out how to steal a few books on runes from the restricted section when she'd heard Hermione talking strategies with him. But no one needed to know that.

"You know," Blaise draped an arm over her shoulders, "you could afford a pretty nice outfit with those winnings. I could take you to Hogsmede and we could try a few things, see what works."

She smiled, not entirely sure how to feel about it. "I'll think about it, see how much I win."  
Blaise was a good friend, she'd admit, but did she really see him as boyfriend material? She could do worse, she'd admit, but Natalia always found herself wanting excitement in her life, and she wasn't sure she'd get that from Blaise. A bit of fun, sure, but not anything exciting or permanent.

Draco swapped seats with Pansy to talk to Natalia, noticing how she was huddled into herself against the cold. "Natalia, for Merlin's sake." He muttered a heating spell under his breath for her, and she smiled as it set in. It wasn't as comforting as George's, but this felt like home. Well, the Manor, which was basically home to her now anyway.

She thanked him, relaxing a little, which she immediately regretted as she didn't want to give Blaise the wrong idea.

"Anyway, dad wrote to me and he wants to know if you want any money out of your vault. For-" he lowered his voice, "-for the Ball."

Natalia started answering then stopped. "Can I give you an answer after I win this stupid amount of money? If I lose obviously then yes, but if not then it shouldn't be too much."  
She'd forgotten that people not from stupidly upper-class rich pureblood families didn't know about the Yule Ball. Plus, the fact that Harry Potter was a champion meant that those in fourth year were practically expected to go - not that she'd have missed it if it meant she had to sneak in, but that wasn't the point.

Draco nodded, raising an eyebrow, flicking his gaze to Blaise then back at Natalia.

"Oh shush, you're just jealous." She stuck her tongue out at him, curling into Blaise's side much to his surprise and Draco's amusement.

"If that's what you want to call it." He smirked, turning his attention back to the empty arena. "But it looks like you're losing anyway, Potter's disappeared. Told you he'd die on the first task."

Nat rolled her eyes before noticing Pansy's smug expression. "The task isn't over yet, he'll turn up."  
She really needed to stop letting her get under her skin, but she couldn't help it. Pansy really was good for nothing and thought she was the main character everywhere she went - which, if everyone was honest, she was at best a background dancer without any credit at the end of the music video.

They waited, hearing the fading roar of the Hungarian horntail, everyone holding their breath.

And then came bloody Harry Potter on his smouldering broom looking as though he'd gone half-way to timbuktu and back.

"And there we go." Natalia laughed as everyone cheered.

Pansy sat back and sulked, much to the annoyance of literally everyone in the vicinity.

Natalia grinned in victory, knowing full well she was set to come into quite a nice amount of money from those bets.


	16. part 1 - 15 - exactly what it looks like

Natalia couldn't deny anything to Draco once he found her in the Slytherin common room brewing amortentia.

"For snake's sake Natalia." He sighed, making her jump.

"Jesus bloody Christ Malfoy!" Natalia turned to scold him before realising exactly what she was doing. She tried a smile, "it's- not what it looks like?"

He nodded, taking a seat on the sofa across from her. "So you're not brewing amortentia at three in the morning in the common room where anyone could come and find you."

Nat smiled, a little forced admittedly, not moving. "Well in that case, it's exactly what it looks like."

He sighed, rolling his eyes, "so are you going to tell me what's going on or am I just going to have to guess?"

Not entirely sure if Draco was kidding or not, Natalia said, "guess, because I'm not sure how bad this looks."

"Well then I'd say you somehow got into the Weasel twins' debt and now they're exploiting your gifts of potions and curses for their dumb pranks."

Natalia blinked.

"I say guess, I really mean I figured out you needed their help to put Pansy in her place because there's no way you would have ever thought of half of those ideas by yourself and they were basically trademarked Weasley pranks," Draco smirked as Natalia blushed.

"First of all, if you knew why didn't you say something instead of making me sneak around and lie to you? Second, it might be more than that." She refused to look him in the eye.

Draco leaned forward. "What do you mean more?" His tone dropped, eyes glinting. Natalia had only seen this look when he first found out one of the Slytherins had been selling rumours about Natalia's family and Draco's connection, and it was terrifying to be on the other end of it.

"Nothing-" she swallowed. "-Nothing inherently bad just nothing really... good."

They sat in silence, Draco now leaning back staring her down and Natalia trying to busy herself with the potion, trying to get it right. Advanced potions were a little trickier, with their temperamentality, though she seemed to be getting along with it just fine.  
"He's helping me with charms."

Draco sucked in a breath, grey eyes hardening to stone. "Who."

She looked up at him, expression guarded, not sure how he was going to react. Her knuckled turned white as she gripped her wand, ready to use any number of hexes or curses to stop him flying off the handle. "George."

Silence settled in once more. Draco's eyes still stone-cold, Natalia daring him to try anything.

"George Weasley." Eventually, he gave in, resting his elbows on his knees, his chin in his hands. "George fucking Weasley. I should have guessed." He laughed, but it sounded off, not quite genuine. Somewhere in between disbelief and relief.

"Draco?" Nat loosened her grip, a little confused by his reaction.

"Well, at least you know it can't ever..." He made some vague hand gestures. "Well, nothing can really come of it, especially because of your mother. And my parents would go insane if you mentioned even talking to a Weasley in a civil manner."

Draco was right, Natalia had thought of all of his points, knew it was futile, but still.

"I-"

"You can say it out loud Natalia. That was it makes it less daunting." He smiled.

"I think I might like George." She mumbled, covering her face with her hands. She spelled the potion, taking the heat off as it should - in theory - be ready.

Draco sighed, "come over here. Don't argue with me, Natalia White."

She closed her mouth, climbing over the table and sat next to him, curling into his side.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, her head resting on his chest, breathing in sync. "If you want to continue working with them for these dumb prank ideas, go ahead. I'll be here for you when someone decides to say something ok?"

Natalia laughed, "I can take care of myself Draco."

He grinned pulling away to look at her, "I know. But who else will cheer you on when you're using banned curses on students?"

They laughed, settling together.

"What does it smell like to you?" Natalia whispered.

Draco raised an eyebrow before inhaling deeply. "Tea, slightly sweetened. Lemongrass, and ink." He exhaled slowly, not really entirely sure where the lemongrass came from. Maybe the gardens back home. "You?"

Natalia smiled softly. "Bonfire night, toffee. Rain."  
She wasn't particularly surprised at rain or bonfire night, but toffee was new.

Draco looked at her, a little confused. "Bonfire night?"

Natalia froze, turning to stare at Draco in shock, horror, and excitement. "You don't know what Bonfire night is?" He shook his head. "I'm teaching you." She giggled, and Draco wondered if he'd made a mistake telling her.


	17. part 1 - 16 - broken noses

Natalia couldn't deny anything to Draco once he found her in the Slytherin common room brewing amortentia.

"For snake's sake Natalia." He sighed, making her jump.

"Jesus bloody Christ Malfoy!" Natalia turned to scold him before realising exactly what she was doing. She tried a smile, "it's- not what it looks like?"

He nodded, taking a seat on the sofa across from her. "So you're not brewing amortentia at three in the morning in the common room where anyone could come and find you."

Nat smiled, a little forced admittedly, not moving. "Well in that case, it's exactly what it looks like."

He sighed, rolling his eyes, "so are you going to tell me what's going on or am I just going to have to guess?"

Not entirely sure if Draco was kidding or not, Natalia said, "guess, because I'm not sure how bad this looks."

"Well then I'd say you somehow got into the Weasel twins' debt and now they're exploiting your gifts of potions and curses for their dumb pranks."

Natalia blinked.

"I say guess, I really mean I figured out you needed their help to put Pansy in her place because there's no way you would have ever thought of half of those ideas by yourself and they were basically trademarked Weasley pranks," Draco smirked as Natalia blushed.

"First of all, if you knew why didn't you say something instead of making me sneak around and lie to you? Second, it might be more than that." She refused to look him in the eye.

Draco leaned forward. "What do you mean more?" His tone dropped, eyes glinting. Natalia had only seen this look when he first found out one of the Slytherins had been selling rumours about Natalia's family and Draco's connection, and it was terrifying to be on the other end of it.

"Nothing-" she swallowed. "-Nothing inherently bad just nothing really... good."

They sat in silence, Draco now leaning back staring her down and Natalia trying to busy herself with the potion, trying to get it right. Advanced potions were a little trickier, with their temperamentality, though she seemed to be getting along with it just fine.  
"He's helping me with charms."

Draco sucked in a breath, grey eyes hardening to stone. "Who."

She looked up at him, expression guarded, not sure how he was going to react. Her knuckled turned white as she gripped her wand, ready to use any number of hexes or curses to stop him flying off the handle. "George."

Silence settled in once more. Draco's eyes still stone-cold, Natalia daring him to try anything.

"George Weasley." Eventually, he gave in, resting his elbows on his knees, his chin in his hands. "George fucking Weasley. I should have guessed." He laughed, but it sounded off, not quite genuine. Somewhere in between disbelief and relief.

"Draco?" Nat loosened her grip, a little confused by his reaction.

"Well, at least you know it can't ever..." He made some vague hand gestures. "Well, nothing can really come of it, especially because of your mother. And my parents would go insane if you mentioned even talking to a Weasley in a civil manner."

Draco was right, Natalia had thought of all of his points, knew it was futile, but still.

"I-"

"You can say it out loud Natalia. That was it makes it less daunting." He smiled.

"I think I might like George." She mumbled, covering her face with her hands. She spelled the potion, taking the heat off as it should - in theory - be ready.

Draco sighed, "come over here. Don't argue with me, Natalia White."

She closed her mouth, climbing over the table and sat next to him, curling into his side.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, her head resting on his chest, breathing in sync. "If you want to continue working with them for these dumb prank ideas, go ahead. I'll be here for you when someone decides to say something ok?"

Natalia laughed, "I can take care of myself Draco."

He grinned pulling away to look at her, "I know. But who else will cheer you on when you're using banned curses on students?"

They laughed, settling together.

"What does it smell like to you?" Natalia whispered.

Draco raised an eyebrow before inhaling deeply. "Tea, slightly sweetened. Lemongrass, and ink." He exhaled slowly, not really entirely sure where the lemongrass came from. Maybe the gardens back home. "You?"

Natalia smiled softly. "Bonfire night, toffee. Rain."  
She wasn't particularly surprised at rain or bonfire night, but toffee was new.

Draco looked at her, a little confused. "Bonfire night?"

Natalia froze, turning to stare at Draco in shock, horror, and excitement. "You don't know what Bonfire night is?" He shook his head. "I'm teaching you." She giggled, and Draco wondered if he'd made a mistake telling her.


	18. part 1 - 17 - run

Natalia lay on the sofa in the Room of Requirement waiting for George. She was early, she knew, because she'd wanted to practise, and then realised that George had the damn textbook she usually practised with and she'd left all of hers in her dorm.

"If it isn't Natalia White. And early for once!" She heard a familiar voice behind her and rolled over to see George leaning against the wall, bag slung over his shoulder.

"I forgot a book to practise with so I don't break your nose again." She said sheepishly.

He laughed, taking out the usual Charms textbook they used. "You'll never guess."

She stood, frowning. "What?"

He laughed again, "Ron had to dance with McGonagall!"

Natalia giggled, picturing the image in her head, "oh I would have killed to see that!" She giggled. "We had prefects, Snape didn't even attempt to teach us, just gave us the rundown."

George laughed, "could you imagine?"

"The horror!" They giggled. "I'm glad I know how to dance anyway, made it easier to handle."

George stopped laughing and looked at her in awe and shock. "You know you to- How? It's all steps and twirls and how do you not fall over yourself?!"

Natalia stopped giggling and looked at him seriously. "You can't dance and you're about to go to the Yule Ball... with?"

George wiggled his eyebrows, slipping back into his jokey manner, "why, White? You asking me out?"

She rolled her eyes, turning a little pink but ignoring it, "no, because you're going to embarrass the poor girl! And I have to warn her!"

He laughed, shrugging, "teach me."

Natalia blinked. "Teach you?"

"Teach me." He smiled, "unless you think you could never live up to me as a teacher."

She glared at him. "Fine. But take your shoes off, I don't want to explain to Draco why he's got to fix my foot after you stand on it."

George laughed, but complied, leaving his bag on the floor. "We have no music."

Natalia rolled her eyes, "this is the room of requirement."

They turned, and indeed, a CD player sat on the table. George, of course, had no clue how the hell to work it, but Natalia just cast a simple spell and it started playing some kind of waltz music.

"Ok, so hand positions," Nat directed his hands with her own, placing one on her waist, taking the other with her own, placing hers on his shoulder. "Fairly simple, just try not to panic too much about it."

He nodded, shuffling his feet. "Now is the part where I fall over making a fool of myself."

"Nope, I won't let you. Like this, come on." She told him to watch her feet, following her. "Step forward a few times, like..." She tried to show him but they ended up falling into each other and laughing. "Ok, not like that."

He laughed, helping her find her balance. "Try not to fall at my feet, I know I'm irresistible, but do try at least."

Nat rolled her eyes, still laughing. "I'll show you from here. We'll start simple, just go in a straight line, then once you've got that we can add the spinning." She stood by his side instead, not wanting to fall flat on her ass.

He nodded, copying her movements exactly, standing on his own feet occasionally but in essence getting it. "Ok, I think I got the weird step-to-step thing."

Nat nodded, turning to face George and getting in position. "So try with me. Otherwise, you're going to fall over your date."

He grinned, "the only falling I'm gonna do is for her."

Natalia faltered, but carried on, raising an eyebrow at his bad joke. "Focus, I don't want to end up with broken appendages."

George sobered pretty quickly, trying to remember the steps, managing at least not to stand on her feet during the little dance, though he did nearly send them flying as he tripped over his own two feet.

"Shit!" Natalia shrieked, falling backwards flat on her back, George trying to save from falling on top of her and failing miserably. "Oh fuck George I can't- I can't breathe!" She wheezed, struggling for breath until he rolled off her laughing. She took one look at him and couldn't help herself, giggling at the stupidness of the situation. "Jesus Christ Georgie."

He laughed, "oh so you can call me Georgie but I can't call you Nat? How rude."

Nat rolled her eyes. "Fine. But not in front of people. We need to maintain-" she put on a straight face, "complete professionality."

"That's not a word." George grinned making her laugh.

"You may only judge my English when you can dance." She stood, offering him a hand.

He took it, standing and getting back in position. This time, he made sure not to trip over his own feet, not wanting to fall and hurt Natalia again.

"Good! Now we add the spinning. Jut follow my lead." She looked at him, moving his face slightly so she could see his eyes.

He smiled, a little nervous and definitely not wanting to hurt her again, so just took a deep breath.

"Trust me, Georgie." She whispered, before pulling him along with her, trying to make it as easy as possible while also teaching him how to actually properly dance.

He grinned, watching his feet and her face. "Hey! I'm actually doing this?"

Natalia laughed, nodding. "Ready for the next part?"

He looked at her in panic, but she told him to just breathe and trust her - he wasn't sure why, but he did. When it came to this, anyway.

"So when I say go, switch where your hands are. It'll be messy at first, but just... don't stop."

He giggled, but quickly stopped when she said to switch and he couldn't figure out where his hands were. "Merlin's beard this doesn't make sense!" He said, Natalia taking his hand in hers, letting his other rest on her waist again.

Natalia just giggled, trying not to lose focus. "Ok, ready for the really hard part?"

"Can we take a break for like five seconds?"

Natalia nodded, pulling out of the position and waving her wand at the CD player to stop the music. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just-" George stumbled over his words, not as confident as he usually was. "It was very Real."

Natalia smiled and nodded, looking down at her shoes. "Yeah, it-" she cleared her throat. "It's quite something, dancing with someone."

George laughed a little, shaking his head, but Natalia was too lost in her own bubble to notice. "Nat." He grinned as she met his eyes. "May I have this dance?" He bowed to her and she laughed, curtseying and accepting his hand.

"Of course."

They started up, Natalia not being able to look away, whispering instructions like when to spin properly, when to switch hand placements.

"Ok, now you're gonna lift me on the spin by my waist." She said, finding her voice all of a sudden. "Just quickly, a half-turn, and put me down, ok?"

George nodded, looking unsure of himself.

"Ok, now." She said, placing her hands on his shoulders, pushing down as to take some of her own weight, but George didn't really seem to have much trouble either way which surprised her. She smiled, picking up the pace, hoping George was ok with it, but he seemed to keep up (even if he did feel completely out of his depth) and he even switched hand positions and lifted her a few times without prompting.

He smiled down at her and she tried not to lose all control. "Thank you for teaching me." He muttered.

Natalia shrugged as well as she could, "it's payment for helping me with Charms."

George just smiled, a little unsure of himself again as the music died off.

Natalia turned to start it again, but George grabbed her waist, pulling her back around and-  
Suddenly Natalia was kissing George Weasley.

And then the moment ended, he pulled away, a smile dancing on his face.

"I- what was that for?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

"So many things. Isn't it obvious?" He tilted her face up so her eyes met his but she shifted his gaze. "What's wrong?"

Natalia couldn't get her words out, couldn't begin to explain to him exactly why it was a bad idea. So instead, she decided to say, "your date to the Yule Ball won't be happy."

George shrugged, "so I'll tell Katie I can't go with her."

She laughed quietly, backing away towards the door. "You can't- you can't do that to her. You can't- we can't be together."

"Is this because of Malfoy?" George looked confused, and she didn't blame him. This wasn't fair on him.

She shook her head. "No. This is... our families- your parents would disown you, mine would kill me." She laughed bitterly to herself. "Well, half would."

He looked confused, but she couldn't explain, so instead she did the only other thing she could think of: She ran.


	19. part 1 - 18 - manic

When Natalia turned up in their corner of the library with her fists clenched, her face completely set in stone, Draco knew something had happened.

"What the hell?" He muttered, silently cursing himself for speaking like a muggle. Natalia really was rubbing off on him.

She sat, staring at everyone in the library. "I will not cry over a boy. And a Weasley at that."

"What happened?" He turned to her, making more room for her on the bench.

"Not here." She mumbled, standing again, and he swept his books into his bag to follow her, the crowds in the corridors parting for them like the Red Sea, no one wanting to get in the way of the girl with murder written on her face, and Malfoy, whose dad, as everyone knew, was stupidly rich and could probably buy Natalia out of Azkaban if he so wished.

Eventually, they reached the astronomy tower, Natalia taking her usual place on the window ledge, Draco this time not entirely sure she wasn't about to pitch herself off it.

"He-" She choked on her words a little. "He kissed me."

Draco nearly fell over, his bag dropping to the floor with a thud. "He did what?" His voice was nothing more than a low growl.

Natalia couldn't bring herself to say it again, shoulders hunched, staring at her feet dangling over the edge. "I figured out what he meant by 'joke's on me'." She turned to him, straddling the ledge. "He said.. what he said didn't matter. It was meant to confuse me, make me fall, make me-"

Draco placed a hand on her arm, steadying her, but backed away just as quickly as soon as she was ok. There was nothing worse than getting in the way of Natalia when she was upset.

"But he was wrong." Nat started laughing manically. "Joke's on me!" She stopped laughing, sobering up pretty quickly, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Joke's on me, Georgie."

Draco took a deep breath. "Do you want to practise curses in the forbidden forest again?"

Natalia grinned, but it wasn't something Draco liked. It seemed dangerous, and for a second he regretted asking. "Always, Draco."


	20. part 1 - 19 - cutting in

Natalia took a deep breath, staring at herself in the mirror. The Yule Ball was minutes from starting and yet she couldn't tear herself away.  
Though, it wasn't because of her vanity, as Pansy was no doubt telling Draco. Natalia had never once thought she looked like her mother until that moment, her hair a mess of curls all held together miraculously by bobby pins and magic, high cheekbones accentuated and the dress...

Well, Natalia knew she often had the same sense of style as her mother had at Hogwarts from the strange looks she often got from McGonagall and Dumbledore, but this would make them more concerned.

She appeared at the top of the stairs, wand in hand, not really sure what Draco would say. He'd only ever seen photos of her mum before, from the Manor, from her own childhood keepsakes...

"Oh- Natalia." Blaise breathed, nudging Draco.

He turned and stared, smiling as she walked towards him, thankful she'd chosen flats instead of heels. "You look beautiful."

"I look like my mother." She whispered, but he ignored her and offered his arm. She accepted, much to Pansy's annoyance (Nat thought she was secretly hoping she'd changed her mind) and they made their way to the Great Hall.

She could feel Blaise checking her out, but she was just focused on keeping a brave face in the madness that was about to ensue.

"Ah, Mr Malfoy." Snape gave his half-smirk as the group arrived. Natalia tried not to notice his eyes widening as his eyes landed on her. "Daph-" He cleared his throat. "Miss White."

Natalia had almost forgotten Snape used to be a death eater. "Professor." She refused to meet his gaze, dragging Draco along with her through to the Hall.

They reached the doors, greeting Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore, both of whom turned a significantly paler shade when they first saw her.

"Apparently people here really do think you look like her," Draco murmured to her, keeping his voice low.

"Why did you think I was standing in front of the mirror for so long?" Natalia wasn't sure how she felt about it, if she was honest. Her mother was beautiful, before she went slightly insane in Azkaban, Natalia would admit. But... well. She wasn't sure she wanted to be associated with the Rosier family.

They joined the other students welcoming in the Champions, cheering and smiling.

Natalia thought for a brief moment she saw George staring at her, but when she looked again it was just some other kid she didn't recognise. The dance started, and after a minute, everyone else started joining, Nat accepting Draco's arm and going to the dance floor.

"You really do look beautiful." Draco smirked.

Natalia blushed. "Thanks."

The dance ended, going into The Weird Sisters, resulting in everyone screaming and rushing the dance floor.

**

The end of the night drew closer, and Draco and Natalia stood by the side watching others dance another Waltz.

"May I borrow you for a dance?" Someone tapped Natalia on the shoulder and she turned to face someone in Durmstrang robes, though he was lacking in accent.

"Um, yeah." She curtseyed a little, taking his hand, turning to shoot Draco a confused look only too see him giving her the same one.

He led her to the floor, easily positioning the both of them, taking her hand in his. "I do love a good waltz."

Natalia smiled, "it's one of my favourites. Where's your partner?"

He smiled, and for a moment it seemed familiar. "Tired, gone to bed. Not that I'm complaining, as then I couldn't dance with you."

Nat blushed, not saying anything more.

"You look beautiful today."

Natalia thanked him, noting how he was perfectly on time with everything. All too soon, it was over, and suddenly Blaise was cutting in.

"Oh Jesus, not you too." She laughed, settling with him for a slow dance. "Where's Pansy?"

"Pissed that Draco hasn't danced with her." He rolled his eyes. "Where's Draco?"

Nat made eye contact with him across the room, noting his questioning look. "Staring at us wondering what the hell we're doing."

"Well," Blaise chuckled, "I'm asking - officially - if you would like to go on a date with me."

Natalia nearly stopped breathing. "Blaise-" She took a deep breath, a thousand thoughts going through her mind in the ten seconds it took her to reach an answer. "Yes. Yeah, I'll go on a date with you."

"Really?"

"You seem surprised."

"I am. I wasn't-" He smiled nervously. "Well, I've been flirting with you for about a year and had nothing back."

Natalia smiled a little. "Well I was a little preoccupied with dementors last year, I've just managed to settle in this year, and yeah. I'd like to date you."

He smiled, kissing her cheek lightly as the song ended. "Well then, I bid you goodnight. I'd walk you, but I know Draco wants another dance with you before it ends."

Natalia nodded, looking down before smiling and waving him off, turning to Draco looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Blaise just asked me out."

Draco nearly tripped, making Natalia reach out with a squeak. "You said no, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "No."

He stared at her for a second. "You said yes?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Well, it's Blaise, he's nice, good-looking, probably won't care about my family issues. Plus, I know everyone will approve, and we both know how important that is."

Draco simply sighed, drawing her in for a hug, not really saying anything she expected him to. Not really saying anything at all.


	21. part 1 - 20 - break down

Natalia woke up on New Year's Eve with a groan, then quickly remembered it was her birthday and grinned. The girls in her dorm didn't particularly care - they didn't like her much - but Natalia just showered, dressed, dried her hair and joined everyone downstairs in the common room.

"Good morning!" She kissed Blaise lightly before leaning against him.

"Morning babe! Happy birthday!" He rested his forehead on hers, before handing her a small-ish box.

Natalia smiled, kissing his cheek before opening it. There lay a silver necklace with inset emeralds and star rubies. "Oh- Blaise. It's beautiful."

He smiled.

"Put it on me?" She turned, lifting her hair just as she saw Draco coming down the stairs to meet them, her present in hand. She really did love birthdays.

Blaise clasped the necklace together, wrapping his arms around her.

"Happy birthday Nat." Draco smiled, sitting on the opposite sofa, placing the box on the table in front of her.

She smiled and opened it. She stared at Draco then back into the box again. "Are- are you serious?"

Draco grinned.

Natalia pulled out a framed photograph of herself and her mum from when she was nine, only a few days before her mother's arrest and sentencing. She recognised the photograph from her father's mantlepiece, and she wondered how he'd managed to get a copy, and even then charm it to be able to move.

Blaise looked a little confused at first before he could see it clearly. "Oh, Natalia- Is that your mum? Old photo isn't it?"

She could only manage a nod, tears forming in her eyes.

Draco grinned, "it's one she lost a long time ago, I managed to find a copy of it at ours, somehow. Just got it retouched, and framed."

Natalia wiped the tears away, smiling at Draco. "I'll put this away and we can go to breakfast?"

She quickly ran back to her dorm, placing the photo carefully on her side table before rejoining them. Pansy had also appeared, ignoring Natalia as usual.

Breakfast was good, and the house-elves seemed to realise it was her birthday with blueberry pancakes and maple syrup waiting right in front of where she usually sat. "Blueberry pancakes! I've missed these. My dad makes the best blueberry pancakes."

Draco rolled his eyes but held his tongue, not daring to say anything.

Not everyone knew he was a muggle, most thought he was a muggle-born. Of course, those with death-eater parents knew otherwise, but they never said anything themselves.

Post came in, and two owls landed in front of Natalia, each with a small parcel attached. Natalia smiled, untying both of them to the owls could rest in the owlery. She opened one, smiling at the polaroid camera from her dad. She'd been after one for a while, after seeing some old ones of his in a box in the attic. She left it in front of her plate, glaring at Blaise as he tried to reach for it. There was no way she was letting anyone tamper with it, it was way too precious to her.

The second came as a small surprise until she saw the note. The cursed dagger her mother had used on multiple muggles, squibs, even muggle-borns. The note was clearly in Draco's handwriting, signed as though it was from her mother. He did this every year, since her first birthday when there were many questions about why she hadn't sent her a present, only for it to arrive a day later, in Narcissa's writing.  
She wondered how he'd got it. As far as she knew it was hidden away in the ministry - maybe Lucius?

She smiled, careful not to touch the blade, wrapping it back up so as to make sure no one accidentally touched it. "I'll write to her later." She smiled, tucking it into her pocket. She'd have to thank him properly later.

**

"Well, if it isn't Nat White."

Natalia froze, hand half-way to the railing, ready to climb to the Owlery tower to send her father a letter thanking him for the present. "George." She replied curtly.

"Ah come on, you can be a little nicer than that."

She sighed, turning to face him. "Why are you here? Why are you here alone."

He turned a little red at that. "Just came to say happy birthday." He shrugged.

Natalia stopped, nearly choking on air. "Um, thank you."

"Who's that to? Parents?"

"Yeah." She looked down, turning the letter over in her hands. "Dad got me a polaroid." She stopped, shaking her head, "sorry, it's an old-style camera. Muggle camera."

George smiled gently. "So, you and Blaise."

Natalia looked up so fast she thought she might give herself whiplash. "What?"

"You and Blaise. Your... Boyfriend." He let the word roll off his tongue, breaking eye contact.

Natalia nodded, not really sure what to say. "It-" She faltered. "It's complicated. Your family- would never let you have anything to do with me if they knew me. And mine do know you - or at least they know your family - and let me tell you." She swallowed, meeting his gaze with a fury she'd never felt before. "They would murder you, your family, and everyone you love if they found out we had ever spoken in a friendly way. I don't fancy watching you die."

George didn't have a reply to that.

Natalia turned, walking up to the owlery, taking Draco's owl and sending her letter to him.

"So you still send them letters?" George called up to her, bitterness in his voice.

Natalia turned, pointed her wand at George, muttering a slew of curses under her breath, her words merging.

And all of a sudden he looked as though he was drowning on air, gasping and spluttering, falling to his knees.

Natalia appeared by his side in no time, not entirely sure what she'd done but taking the opportunity nonetheless. She gripped his collar, leaning over him. "Don't you ever speak to me like that. And don't you dare talk about my father like that. Ever."  
She pointed her wand at him again, muttering a bunch of counter-curses until one of them worked and he was able to breathe again.

He collapsed, laying on his back on the floor trying to catch his breath. "Jesus Natalia. You really do have a lot of power behind that"

She smirked, crouching over him, lowering her voice. "So are we clear? Mention anything about my family again, mention this interaction again, and I will leave you here to die, choking on your own lungs."

George didn't respond or react in any way, so she stood, turned and walked away, keeping her head high, not turning back to even check if he was ok.

Though she knew as soon as no one could see her she'd break down. Maybe Natalia was too like her mother for her own good.


	22. part 1 - 21 - bets round two

Natalia sat on her bed in front of her keepsake box, staring at the money she'd still got. Not much, only about two hundred galleons - a significant loss from her six-hundred and fourteen galleons, but enough. Well, it hopefully would be with what she should make today.

She wrapped up, joining with the others downstairs ready for the second task at the Black Lake. Given the last task's outcome, it was a little uncertain how this would turn out, so she had three possible outcomes for people to bet with her. She never bet more than she could afford to lose, which was where Pansy always failed with her.

They settled themselves, Natalia huddled into the warmth of Blaise, though Draco had, of course, cast heating spells on them both. Not that Blaise knew that, but she knew he liked to be public, so this was her easy way with it.

It was a little boring after they'd all dived in, so the four of them took to playing games, wandering around the stands for an hour.

"Natalia White." Someone spoke right in her ear, making her tense up.

"Fred Weasley."

"Care to bet?" George appeared right beside his twin.

Natalia laughed, "no thanks, have my own little network."

They grinned, trying to convince her anyway.

"No thanks," she backed away, "really, you don't want me to."


	23. part 1 - 22 - bets round 2

Natalia sighed, looking down at her shoes. It'd been a long shot asking to meet George again, especially after what happened in the owlery. But she had to try.

She shrugged to herself, pushing off the wall, turning and walking back the way she came, through the castle, going back down to the dungeons.  
It wasn't long, but Natalia walked slower than usual, trying not to think of any of it.

"Natalia." Draco fell into step beside her. "What's got you looking so melancholy on a Saturday morning?"

She shook her head. "Ah-" She laughed bitterly, "I may have accidentally cursed George, become my mother, then threatened his life. Oh, then I tried to give him this today except, surprise surprise, he wants nothing to do with me."

Draco sighed, shaking his head. "Which curse."

"I don't know. I was speaking so fast my words merged together and I said something in Latin to make him start drowning on air. It was kind of terrifying."

"Merlin's beard Nat." He muttered. "We really need to figure out how the hell you can do that."

She shrugged. "Whatever. I'm gonna go stare at this and break my teeth with roasted hazelnuts in my dorm." She pulled out the little bag of hazelnuts from her pocket, crunching one on her way up the stairs.

Natalia pushed open the door to her bedroom, where her roommates were all gathered on one of their beds talking in hushed voices. They stopped as soon as they saw her.

"Um, there's an owl? with something addressed to you?" One of them pointed to the windowsill, where indeed there was an owl waiting with a letter in its beak.

Natalia threw the keepsake box onto her bed and retrieved the letter, rolling her eyes when the girls all stared at her, waving her wand to close her bedcurtains. She could hear them whispering, but it didn't particularly bother her; they were always like this. She recognised the handwriting, her heart in her throat as she stared at it.  
Hands shaking, she carefully opened the letter.

Nat

Sorry I won't be there, Fred and I got detention for yesterday with Snape

I know what happened in the owlery was probably a mess of emotions and bad phrasing on my part, though you're not entirely innocent either. But maybe we can leave it? After all, I did insult your family, prank you since you arrived, and terrorised you a little in second year.

Let's call it even

-Georgie

Natalia nearly choked, losing her breath and her voice, not entirely sure what on earth she was supposed to do now.  
Write back? Ignore him? He did say he wanted to call it even... which was unusually out of character for him, George never called it even without... well, getting even.

She needed Draco's help, he always knew what to do in situations like this. Whatever this situation was.  
Nat sighed, sneaking out of the room so her roommates wouldn't just stare at her again (Natalia really didn't like it when people did that, it felt as though hey were pulling her apart) making sure no one saw her making her way to the boys' dormitories and to Draco's room. Especially Blaise, that wouldn't look good, especially when she used the staircases turning into slides if you try to go up the wrong one as an excuse to not go to bed with him that one time. Not that she had. But it was difficult to just... say no. Especially with Blaise.  
She knocked quietly on the door, ready to hide if someone else opened the door, but luckily she was met by Draco.

"Nat?" He opened the door wider, letting her in, checking no one saw before closing the door again "What's up? I thought you were going to eat hazelnuts in your room and be sad?"

She rolled her eyes, popping a few hazelnuts in her mouth and giving him a pointed look. "He's in detention."

"How do you know?"

She handed him the letter, watching him read it with a slight sneer on his face.

"Weasleys." He said in disgust, making Nat roll her eyes and lie on his bed. "Well. He says he wants to call it even."

"But?" She probed.

"But-" Draco lay next to her. "That's not his character. He's probably planning something - with Fred - to get back at you. The question is, Natalia, whether you want him back in your life. If the answer is yes - and I would like to say here now on the record that I don't think you should because... he's George Weasley - but if the answer is yes, then take whatever he's going to do to get even with you."

She refused to meet his gaze. She knew Draco's prejudice against the Weasley family mostly came from his own father's beliefs and dumb ideas, but it still hurt to hear them. Especially when she'd openly admitted to him her feelings for George-

But Natalia was dating Blaise now, not George. She liked Blaise, that's why she'd said yes to him, why she was with him...  
"Ok, so maybe not." She sighed, sitting up. "I don't need to be thinking of George, I need to be thinking of Blaise."

"What on earth does that mean?" Draco frowned, but Natalia didn't give him an answer, just escaped out of his dorm and down to the common room, out into the dark night.

It wasn't raining but she needed to think. She regretted not stopping to grab a jacket, only in her pastel peach turtleneck and jeans. The dew on the grass was soaking the cuffs of her jeans already, and she tried a heating charm against the cold.

Nat stared out over the Black lake, not really watching where she was going. But it didn't really matter because she'd been sitting in the same spot since the first time she dared venture out at night in second year.

"If it isn't Natalia White."

George should probably stop with that introduction, but it'd become habit now, and in all honesty, Natalia kinda liked it.

"If it isn't George Weasley." She focused on the silhouette sat in her usual spot. "You're in my place."

He chuckled under his breath, moving over to let her sit on his right. "Here. And I charmed the ground for you already and everything."

Natalia sat next to him, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"You didn't reply to my letter."

"I didn't know what to say."

"You do now, though. Otherwise, you would have turned and walked away."

Natalia sighed, not ready yet. "And if I just wanted the company?"

George smiled, noticing her shivering. "Then I'll sit here with you and teach you how to cast a proper heating spell." He cast one for her under his breath.

"You're right, though. I don't admit that often, but you're right." Natalia sighed as the heat settled in, and she felt a little safer out in the cold. "I do know what to say."

George waited, not wanting to say anything to put her off speaking, not when he was right on the edge of getting what he wanted.

"I can't think- I liked you, George. A lot. And that was scary and I couldn't let that happen, for your sake. Maybe I am being selfish, wanting you to live, have a good life. I don't- I want to put this behind us, I want to say we're even, but that's just not you, is it?"

George didn't have a response to that, nor would he have interrupted if he had.

"I'm sorry I cursed you. I don't do well with people talking about my family, I never have done. It's a touchy subject and I was already a little over-emotional and I took it out on you. I apologise for that, really, I do. But I can't-"

"You can." His voice was strained, making Natalia look at him.

She studied his face, his eyes, every detail, every hidden emotion. "Yeah, ok, I can. But it can't be as open. We need to be careful. Very careful, because if Draco finds out we're talking on friendly terms again, he won't wait for my mother to find me and kill me, he'll do it himself."

George smiled, eyes shining. "So you came here to tell me that, with the speech prepared and everything?"

Natalia laughed, bumping him with her shoulder, before realising he was too far away and nearly losing her balance. "Shit! Wasn't supposed to do that."

He laughed, the sound ringing through the clear air loudly, helping her sit back upright. "Come on, Nat, don't want you falling for me again, do we?"

"Oh yeah?" She snorted, "and what about you?"

He grinned, "I wasn't the one who turned up here declaring my love for you!"

"I never mentioned love." She grumbled, making him laugh even more.

"Oh come on," he threw an arm around her, pulling her closer, "you know me, Nat. By the way, I'm starving, do you have any hazelnuts?"


	24. part 1 - 23 - late night again

Keeping secrets from people was usually pretty easy for Natalia. Until she had to keep a secret from Draco Malfoy.  
Despite outward appearances and literally everyone thinking he was obsessed with Potter, he really couldn't care less about him half the time. Which did, unfortunately, mean his focus was on her.

Well, not solely on her, but Natalia had a guilty conscience so it might as well have been

And as for Blaise...  
Nat knew he could tell there was something slightly off with her, and she wasn't sure how much longer he'd stay quiet on the matter.

George, however, seemed to be completely unconcerned about lying to everyone, including his twin brother Fred.  
"It's not lying, Natalia, it's an omission of truth." He'd argue. "Besides, I'm just tutoring you on charms. And in exchange, you occasionally cook up some more of that weird amortentia thing."

"It's not amortentia if you replace half the damn recipe."

And then they'd argue and Natalia would sigh, lying on the sofa, completely giving up with trying to figure out what to do with herself.  
But George would always be there the next day, ready to have the argument again - could she call it an argument if she was the one constantly finding loopholes while he waited patiently for her to finish talking herself into a hole, sometimes offering counterpoints? Whatever it was, he'd always show up the next day ready for it, sometimes with potion ingredients, sometimes without, but always with his mischievous grin and way too long hair.

Natalia still hadn't plucked up the courage to give the twins the money for the shop yet - it wasn't much, only three hundred galleons, but it would help, she hoped. Maybe she could give it to them as a birthday present.  
Besides, Fred was still well aware she was helping them, he just didn't know how familiar she and George had become, which was why she was surprised when Fred turned up along with George, both looking a little nervous.

She felt her breath stick in her throat, her lungs closing, and wondered for a second if this was it, if they were going to have it out with her for... well, everything.

"Well well well,"

"If it isn't Natalia White." George grinned, but she didn't respond, simply opened the door for them and followed them into the Room of Requirement.

"Is this an ambush or...?" She raised an eyebrow, arms crossed.

Fred grinned, shaking his head. "We just wanted to discuss with you some other potential products. Who better to ask than our own secret partner."

Natalia rolled her eyes, grateful it wasn't anything major. "Ok, what's up?"

George glanced at Fred, unsure of himself. "We were wondering - seeing as you're a half-blood with probably more knowledge of the muggle world than we do - do you know of any muggle tricks? Like, we researched some of it, but we can't figure out how any of it works."

Nat grinned, eyes shining. "So, I don't mean to brag, but my father taught me quite a few card tricks, a bit of sleight of hand... that sort of thing. Why, I don't know because wands exist, but I can probably still do it." She shrugged, emptying her pockets.

Natalia sighed, crunching a few hazelnuts before transfiguring the bag into a deck of muggle cards. "Ok, let's see what I can remember."


	25. part 1 - 24 - is it really worth the trouble

Natalia had sent the twins a letter asking to meet her just before curfew on their birthday, hoping that it was early enough for it to not interfere if they were having a party in Gryffindor house, but late enough that no one would really be out and about in the halls.

She was right that no one else was around, though, by the look of the twins, they'd probably been celebrating turning seventeen all day. "Evening Weasleys."

"Evening White!" They smiled in unison.

"Just wanted to say happy birthday." She handed them the box. "It's not as much as I'd like to give you but it's got to be under the radar, so here."

"Aw, a joint present?" Fred pouted.

"And here we were thinking you liked us." George faked crying, making Nat roll her eyes.

She held the box out for them, pulling two more wrapped gifts from her pockets. "I knew you were going to make a fuss."

"Ahem!" McGonagall cleared her throat, making the three of them jump and turn to face her. "It's past curfew- is that Natalia White?"

Natalia didn't really know how to respond to that.

"Is- is that a present?!" She looked as though she was going to faint, and Natalia knew she must be wondering what the hell was going on.

"It's a bomb." Natalia shrugged, walking away to the dungeons.

"A bomb!" The twins screamed, McGonagall yelling at them to not drop it, and Natalia laughed at the chaos she caused.

"Maybe I'm kidding!" She yelled down the hall, stopping at the staircase and turning to see the three of them staring at her, McGonagall not entirely sure what to do. "But maybe I'm not."

McGonagall started shouting after her, and Natalia ran down the stairs, jumping over the side of one to land on another one underneath, feeling it in her ankles - she would regret that move later - and waving to McGonagall as she made her way back to the dungeons.

She smiled, dropping onto the sofa between Blaise and Draco, propping her feet on the table. "Evening."

Draco eyes her warily. "Evening."

"You ok, babe?" Blaise asked, frowning a little.

Natalia opened her mouth to reply but was cut short when McGonagall and Snape walked into the common room with stone expressions.

"Natalia White." Snape sneered. "My office."

She smiled weakly. "If I don't return, avenge my death." Nat followed the two professors out through to Snape's office, sitting in the chair McGonagall pointed to.

"Explain yourself, Miss White."

Natalia leaned back, making herself comfortable. "Well, you see, me and the Weasley twins have come to an understanding."

"What sort of understanding?"

"I suppose... It's sort of a mutual agreement. I use my incredible skills to help them with whatever they need, they don't make my life hell any more. Plus I get Charms tutoring, we all know my wandwork needs work."

"Some of your wandwork." Snape corrected, much to her amusement.

"Miss White, we can't have you breaking curfew to go handing out bombs." McGonagall folded her arms. "Even if it is part of the understanding."

She rolled her eyes, "it wasn't actually a bomb. Do you really think I'd be that stupid? Especially with the twins, there are easier ways to get what I want from them, easier ways to deal with them." She realised what she said too late, eyes widening ever so slightly. "I didn't mean- I just meant it would be unnecessary."

Snape didn't look amused, McGonagall looking livid and slightly concerned at what she'd just said.

"Still, not listening to Professor McGonagall can't go unpunished," Snape said, allowing McGonagall to dish out the punishment.

"Detention. Three days. Monday after last lesson you will see me in my office."

Natalia smiled, but it didn't meet her eyes so it was a little unsettling. "I'll see you then, Professor."  
She walked out of the office, sighing. Getting involved with the Weasley twins was probably the worst mistake she'd made yet, it was causing her more grief than it was solving anything. Plus, Draco didn't look impressed when she told him she had detention for being out after curfew and how she'd escaped from McGonagall. Maybe it wasn't worth it?


	26. part 1 - 25 - end of fourth year

Natalia sat in the stands staring out over the maze, eyes completely blank. She knew what her mother had meant now, with Cedric dead, Harry Potter screaming about the Dark Lord's return...

There was no hope for her any more and she knew it. Now Voldemort was back, soon enough Azkaban would be broken, the Death Eaters would roam free, and she'd be back in the clutches of her mother. She didn't know what she was going to tell her father-  
He probably wasn't at risk so long as she cut contact with him, hid him from her mother... It wouldn't be easy, he'd have to move house, find a new job.

She could feel Draco watching her from somewhere out of sight, keeping a close eye on her. Nat knew he was just being cautious, making sure she was ok, but it infuriated her because she knew he'd be there, watching over her, making sure she wasn't about to commit treason or some other dumb illegal act. All the teachers would be watching her now, scrutinising her every move, infiltrating her owls too, probably. It was no secret what her mother had done, how she'd done it-

The dagger was still wrapped, hidden in the false bottom of her trunk. It would need to be charmed, transfigured into something else probably. And she'd need to keep it away from her mother for everyone's sakes.

She watched as Draco's silhouette disappeared, finally going back to the Slytherin common room. Natalia hoped he was satisfied she was going to be ok, but she knew he'd constantly be checking in on her over the summer.

"You're still here?" One of the twins sat next to her - Fred. She looked around, spotting George standing a few feet away.

Natalia nodded. "Tell George he can come and join us."

He did, and George sat on the opposite side of her. "We never knew you could tell us apart. Until this year."

"My-" She cleared her throat, "my dad's an identical twin. I know what to look for. Besides, you two made my life hell for three years, hiding around every corner I went, I spent most of my time glaring at the two of you."

George cracked a smile. "You know, if you're scared about his return, you could always come and stay with us."

"Yeah, we could dye you ginger, no one would notice." Fred joked, but none of them felt much like laughing. "I think everyone's a little worried and concerned."

Natalia didn't reply. There was nothing she could really say, and definitely not how she was more scared of her mother than of Voldemort. How this summer she'd be busy rehoming her father, hiding him as best as she could, so her own mother, Daphne Rosier, didn't seek him out and murder him simply for being a muggle. So she just sat there in the twins' company, wondering if this was the last time she would be able to speak freely to them.


	27. part 2 - 1 - the talk

Hi

Hope you enjoyed part one, fourth year.

So about Part two...  
same situation with book vs movie, though this time instead of relying solely on memory alone, I watched the movie again and wrote down all major events that would be more common knowledge (so not the scenes where it's just the trio, or where Natalia wouldn't be aware) so hopefully this one flows a lot easier.

Same as last time if there are inconsistencies please let me know

enjoy :)

Natalia and her father were sat opposite each other at the kitchen table trying to find the words.

"Does this conversation call for a cup of tea?" Her dad asked, and she nodded. It saved her from having to talk about it all, if only for a few minutes.  
Before long, he'd finished, placing two cups of tea on the table.

She cleared her throat, cradling the warm mug in her hands. "So, you remember when I was nine, mum was arrested by Aurors?"

He nodded in response, finding it difficult to look her in the eyes. "Something about knives or curses..."

Natalia flinched, remembering the now-disguised dagger still hidden in her trunk. "She- well. She's a Death Eater. Extremists of the wizarding world, obsessed with keeping magic in the pureblood families, murdering half-bloods, muggle-borns, muggles... disappearances have already started, only a few a week, but they'll pick up-" Her breath stuck in her throat, eyes glued to her tea. "And the leader, the Dark Lord, he's come back."

Jacob closed his eyes, muttering several curse words under his breath. "We need to get out of here. We can go to America, or New Zealand, even Australia, we-"

"No." Nat shook her head, finally meeting his gaze, a little surprised to see a lack of... well anything in her father's expression. "I'm only fifteen, and for the next two years I have the trace, they'll be able to track my movements. I have to stay here, I'll be safe, I promise, but you-"

"Talia, no."

She visibly flinched back at the nickname her mother had given her all those years ago. "We don't have a choice. You will be high on her list as soon as she gets out, and trust me she'll get out within the next year. This-"

"Natalia."

"Dad!" She raised her voice. "There is no other way around this. You have to go, you have to leave. I'll be ok, the Malfoys will protect me from anyone wishing to harm me, and mum- well. I know where she stands after seeing her last year, I'll be fine.

Jacob closed his eyes. "You're so grown up, when did you get so grown up."

Natalia didn't have an answer.

"I can't leave you behind. You're my daughter."

She sighed. "Dad- if you don't go willingly, I'll have to obliviate you. Take away your memory of me."  
Nat knew there was no way she could, not if she wanted to carry on at Hogwarts, but she knew her dad didn't know that.

He sighed, drinking his tea. "What will happen?"

"I don't know. But I'll come and find you once it's safe. I promise."


	28. part 2 - 2 - counting down

Natalia felt like throwing up her eggs when she read the Daily Prophet's newest story dragging Harry Potter and Dumbledore through the mud. It was all she could do to keep her mouth shut about it, especially in front of Lucius.

"I'm off," She heard his voice from the hall outside, "Potter's hearing is soon."

There wasn't much to overhear in the Manor, everything spoken in hushed voices behind heavy doors that were always locked.  
But she'd heard all about the dementor attack, about Potter's hearing... It was hard not to really, with Death Eaters in and out every day, even Lucius bragging about how he'd got the Minister of Magic wrapped around his finger, how it was easy to convince him Harry Potter was trouble and Dumbledore was trying to undermine him-

Natalia just hoped it swung in Harry's favour. She didn't dare to think about what would happen if it didn't.

"Nat!" Draco placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her out of her whirlwind of thoughts. "Come on, we need to talk."

She pushed her plate away, leaving the paper lying on the table, following him to a small office-type room. He locked the door behind them, activating the silencing charm. They weren't supposed to know how to do it, but Draco had been sneaking around the manor or years, figuring it out too early, Nat thought.

"Did you manage to get your dad...?" He didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to.

"Yeah. Took a bit, but he's gone, I don't know where."

Draco nodded. "It's only a matter of time before- well. Mum says you're more than welcome to stay here, even when-"

"Sorry, can we..." Natalia looked at him, not really sure how to get her words out but he seemed to understand either way.

"Of course." He sat in a chair, making himself comfortable, propping his feet on the desk with a sly grin. "Can I ask a question?"

Nat raised an eyebrow and gave him a half nod.

"Why are you still with Blaise when you're still in love with George?"

Wanting nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face, Natalia glared at him. "I am not, nor have I ever been, in love with George Weasley."

Laughing, he asked, "But why are you still with Blaise? You're not happy and it's messing with your head."

"Yeah, that's what's messing with my head." She rolled her eyes at him, sitting heavily in the other chair, pulling her feet up. "But probably because I know my mother will approve. And your parents-"  
Draco gave her a look.  
"-Father," She corrected, "approves. And in the mess that's about to arrive on our front doorstep, God knows I need it."

"I don't approve."

"That's because, in spite of appearances, you don't care about status, blood or otherwise."

Draco didn't look pleased that Natalia had called him out but just shook his head at her.

"Face it, you'd rather see me happy with bloody Harry Potter than unhappy with... well, anyone."

Laughing, he said, "maybe not Potter. A Weasley I can just about handle."

Natalia grinned. "Cause you looove me!" She teased, watching him roll his eyes turning to face her with a dead-eyes stare. "You, the cold-hearted, blue-blood Draco Malfoy actually care about me!"

"Not for much longer with that attitude."

She pouted at him, before inevitably breaking into giggles. "I suppose maybe you're alright too."

He smirked as if he already knew how great he was, even if he knew Nat knew better.

**

Draco and Natalia learned very quickly that Harry Potter had won over the Wizengamot. It was kind of hard to miss, what with Lucius ranting and raving about it as soon as he stepped through the door.

The two exchanged glances before retreating to Natalia's room.  
It used to be one of the many guest rooms, but when she'd spent the summer after second year there, Narcissa had given it to her permanently, even decorating it as Natalia wanted.

Draco sat on the bed, twirling his wand in his hands. "He's going to be in a foul mood now."

"He's in a foul mood more often than not these days, Draco." Natalia retrieved their list from the lining of one of her coats, adding the three names of the witches and wizard who'd disappeared that week. "Besides, we're going back to Hogwarts in three weeks."

"Two weeks and six days." Draco corrected absentmindedly.

Natalia blinked. "Not that you're counting or anything."

He looked at her and laughed, "it's going to be an interesting year, that's evident at least."


	29. part 2 - 3 - astronomy tower

Natalia glared at Draco across the table. "You could show a tiny bit of respect, lord knows what you'd have done had you been there."

He glared right back, "he walks around like he owns the place, what do you want me to do, take it lying down?"

"No," Natalia stood, pushing her plate away, jerking out of Blaise's arm, "because the only one who walks around like that is you, Draco, and you can't even see it." She walked away, not entirely knowing what she was doing, but took a seat at the end of the table. She wasn't sure where that outburst had come from, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to know, but nTa had said what she said and there was no turning back from it now.

"Natalia." Blaise stood awkwardly to the side o her.

"Go back to Draco. I don't want to talk to you."

He stepped back as if she'd slapped him. "Nat, come on-"

She laughed bitterly, "just go."

He looked confused, torn between staying and leaving, not knowing if there was a right answer. Natalia herself didn't know if there was a right answer; in all honesty, she didn't know if this was her breaking up with him or not, but she was sure they'd figure it out soon.

Dumbledore stood to address everyone in the usual way, not that Natalia ever listened, but things became more interesting when Fudge's little lapdog Delores Umbridge interrupted. Natalia smirked as she noted McGonagall's and snape's expressions, looking as though they were already tired of her bullshit.

She heard mutterings from Gryffindor table and giggled quietly when Umbridge gave whoever it was a pointed look.

"-that ought to be prohibited." She gave a little squeak at the end that made Natalia's hair stand on end, and she shuddered to think what on earth the Ministry had in store of Hogwarts. It was bad enough them trying to discredit Potter and Dumbledore, especially when half of the ministry itself seemed to be made up of Death Eaters, not to mention their complete loss of control of the dementors.

Natalia finished pudding quickly, leaving quietly, making sure no one saw her sneak out. Even if Malfoy was pissing her off, it wouldn't stop her from going to the Astronomy tower to think everything through. Her emotions were a wreck, Natalia would admit, but the outburst at Draco? Not really her style.

She sat and stared out over the grounds.

The welcome back quidditch game was postponed until the next night, what with... well, everything, some students were still trying to settle into the new routine of switching between the mentalities of being terrified that Voldemort was actually back and thinking Potter was a liar.  
Natalia had, of course, spoken with Ravenclaw and some Slytherins, and they'd all agreed to invite the rest of the school, to try and lift everyone's spirits and keep tensions down. Whether it would work or not was a different matter.

She stared down, watching her feet dangle over the edge.

"Might want to rethink jumping off the tower."

"Don't think it would be good for your health."

"Weasleys." Natalia didn't look up. "What can I do for you?"

"Heard your outburst at the table. Wondered if you wanted us to do anything about both of them."

Natalia smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant one, rather something created from malice. "I read your advertisements in the Daily Prophet. Skiving snackboxes sound good."

"That wasn't in the papers." They exchanged glances.

"No? My bad." She shrugged, jumping down from the ledge into the safety of the tower.

The twins' eyes widened. "You? You're a Prefect?"

Natalia glanced down at the badge. She'd forgotten she was a prefect, in all honesty. Wasn't something she particularly cared about. "Yeah. Bit boring really, don't want the responsibilities, might skip out on them."

"Even with Umbridge?"

"Especially with Umbridge." Nat laughed.

Fred and George gave each other uneasy glances. "The Ministry-"

"You mean, Fudge."

"Needs to stay out of our school."

Nat grinned, knowing the answer to her question before she even had to ask. "So what, you're going to make her life here a living hell?"

The twins grinned, "of course." It still freaked her out when they spoke in sync. She didn't think she'd ever get used to it.


	30. part 2 - 4 - make me

Given Natalia's recent outburst, she wasn't inclined to sit with Draco in class. Luckily, she still had friends in literally every other house - apart from maybe Gryffindor. She had acquaintances there. Lily Moon smiled at her, offering the seat next to her, which Nat took gratefully.

"I heard what happened, Friday." She whispered, smiling a little at the bird one of the Patil twins had charmed to fly around the classroom.

Natalia clenched her jaw.

"I just wanted to say, to make it less awkward between you two, you're welcome to sit with me in class, and even in the common room. I know I'm no replacement, but-"

"No, that's... Thank you." Natalia gave her a smile, a genuine one at that, and turned to watch the bird flying around the room, only for Umbridge to set it alight, letting it burn out on their desk.

Natalia raised an eyebrow, tuning out most of what she was rattling on about, becoming a little more interested when Harry Potter started yelling at her about Voldemort.  
The class watched it, heads going back and forth as though they were watching a tennis match, until-

"Detention! Mr Potter, my office."

Natalia rolled her eyes, looking down at the book. "Is-" She turned the book or in her hands. "Is this - this is for beginners."

Umbridge looked at her with a strained smile. "Were you not listening dear?" Her tone was too light, too sweet, dripping with poison.

Natalia smirked, "no. Sounded like a whole load of waffle to me."

Umbridge's face contorted. "Ten points from Slytherin."

Natalia rolled her eyes.

"And you will see me in my office, Natalia."

**

Natalia arrived at Umbridge's office early, with the Professor making tea.

"Would you like some?"

Natalia shook her head, not trusting her to not poison it accidentally.

"Take a seat. I wanted to talk to you about your schedule."

She sat, placing her bag beside her. "My schedule? Well, Monday I study potions, Tuesdays and Thursdays it's transfiguration and care of magical-"

"Not that schedule, Natalia. It is Natalia, isn't it? Natalia White?" She had that poisonous tone again, the one that made Nat's skin crawl.

"Unfortunately."

Umbridge smiled tightly. "You don't take History of Magic. Why is that?"

Natalia was taken aback a little. She hadn't known what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. "No, I don't."

"Are you aware that it's mandatory?"

She nodded, frowning, not letting her guard down. There was definitely something strange about this woman who was obsessed with cats, pink, and clearly thought too much of herself.

"So why don't you take it? You must attend all mandatory classes."

"Because I can pass all history of magic exams without taking a single class. Because it's boring, I can recite everything that there is to know on the subject, and have been able to since before I was nine years old, and, quite frankly, I don't give a damn about what's mandatory and what's not."

"You will attend your classes, Miss White."

Natalia stood, laughing darkly, "and what are you going to do? Make me?" She mocked her sickly-sweet tone. "I'd like to see you try." She opened the door, not bothering to close it as Harry was walking up the stairs to his doom. Detention *  
Though with that woman, Natalia knew it to be the same thing.

Perhaps she should warn him. But say what? There wasn't much she could say, and he didn't seem to be in the most stable of moods.  
Probably better not to say anything, especially with his hatred for Slytherins.


	31. part 2 - 5 - fear twisting minds

It was during breakfast the next morning, earlier than Natalia usually got to breakfast, that everything went down. First was the screaming from Umbridge, then came McGonagall, it sounded as though she'd really had enough of this ministry crap.

Natalia walked out to hear the tail end of it.

"-won't stand for, is disloyalty."

"Disloyalty." McGonagall took a step down, making Natalia gasp a little.

"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. The minister will be wanting to take immediate action." She declared.

Well, she wasn't wrong. Within 24 hours, Umbridge had been declared "high inquisitor" of Hogwarts, whatever that meant, and by the end of the week, there were so many new laws and regulations put in place by Umbridge displayed on the wall that filch had to get out a ladder, nearly hitting students on the head with it every time. Natalia thought he was aiming, especially for Fred and George.

And Umbridge definitely hated them, what with the portable swamp. (which had been fun when they'd all been caught. It sort of went down like this:  
Umbridge: so you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp do you?  
Fred: Pretty amusing, yeah  
Natalia: Especially when you're stood in the middle of it messing up your brand-new pink coat.  
And then they'd all run away only to be slapped with detention that evening.)

But the real final straw for Natalia wasn't the Black Quill (she knew exactly what it was the moment she set eyes on it. She still had the faint lines of 'I must attend class' on the back of her hand even) but it was when that bitch callously tried to fire Trelawney and throw her out.

Natalia's heart broke, watching her stood there pleading with Umbridge and crying her poor heart out. When McGonagall came out, Umbridge seemed as though she didn't see the issue with her actions.

Natalia clenched her jaw. Umbridge really was a callous, unemotional toad. And Nat was going to make her life a living hell, especially if she dared interfere with Hogwarts any more than she already had. Which, inevitably would only be the next day. And Nat was counting on it.

Dumbledore arrived right on time, as per bloody usual, and cleared it up, much to Natalia's relief. She didn't particularly care for divination, it was never one of her strong points, but no one should have to be treated the way Umbridge treated Trelawney.

Natalia disappeared, going back to the common room with Lily Moon, sitting at the small armchair ring in the corner. It had sort of become their spot, where they'd sit and study or talk, or even just enjoy each other's company Sometimes others would join them, but rarely.  
Nat had already come to the conclusion that she had indeed broken up with Blaise, and had the necklace and other gifts he'd given her ready in a box in her room, but he was constantly either busy or with Malfoy, and it wasn't something she wanted to do publicly.

"What do you think about all these disappearances then? Do you really think it's that Sirius Black?"

Natalia laughed, "of course not! In all honesty, I think - in regards to the Potters - the Ministry was just looking for a scapegoat, couldn't even be bothered to run a full investigation."

Lily laughed, having heard Natalia's 'conspiracy' before. Natalia smiled. "I don't know how Fudge can be so blind."

Nat rather admired Lily, the way she was so casual about it all. Natalia knew she wasn't from any Death Eater family, so it wasn't as though she was accustomed to it all. Then again, she was in Slytherin, and most people in Slytherin were accustomed to talk about Voldemort, about mass murderers. After all, according to... well everyone not in Slytherin, this was where most dark witches and wizards originated.

"I suppose fear does-" Natalia stumbled on her words, smiling a little, "fear does wonders to the mind."


	32. part 2 - 6 - playing with fire

Natalia smiled, seeing Fred and George standing alone and suspicious in the hallway. "You two... you ok?"

They grinned, pointing around the corner where Filch was chowing down on a box of sweets that were obviously from their skiving snack box range. She wondered when they'd perfected them, and realised they hadn't spoken much at all over the months they'd been at school.

"What-"

"Can you keep a secret?" Fred grinned wickedly.

Natalia laughed quietly. "Of course."

"We're part of a secret Defence against the dark arts club. Harry Potter teaches."

Natalia stopped and stared at them. "You're serious?"

"You should join, Natalia."

"Yeah, get your wand work up to scratch."

Nat stuck her tongue out at them, shaking her head, "if Harry Potter is teaching, he won't want any Slytherins in his secret club. Especially not ones who used to be close to his arch-nemesis Draco Malfoy."

The twins exchanged amused glances before shrugging, going back to what Natalia could only assume was the Room of Requirement. Clever, using it as a classroom. Nat could tell it wasn't completely Potter's idea, probably Granger's. She always was too clever for her own good.

Natalia backed away, turning around.

Now her mind was on the twins, she couldn't get them out of her head. Well, George, specifically.  
Maybe he was losing interest in her - if he was ever even interested in her in the first place.

Maybe it was just her wondering if she'd spent too much of the year worrying about what could happen-  
Even if she knew it would. There was no way it couldn't.

**

"Nat."

She turned, stepping back from the edge of the stairs in the owlery. "Georgie."

He smiled, "you're scaring me this year."

Natalia grinned wickedly. "Good."

George sighed, looking down, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I told Hermione you wanted to join the DA."

Natalia flinched backwards, making George suck in a breath sharply, reaching out momentarily. "You told-"

"Yeah. Privately. I told her you wanted to join and had reservations because you're Slytherin."

Natalia held back a laugh.

"She said as long as you sign the paper, you're ok. She said she would be accepting, even if you turned up as... not you." George smiled, but she could see the worry in his eyes, so she stepped further back from the edge.

"So... transfiguration? It takes a lot of concentration from me to keep it going."

"I know a few spells that will hold with no concentration. It's-"

"You're really invested in getting me into this... what's it called?"

"Dumbledore's Army. The DA for short."

Nat laughed, "that's impressive. I will go to one, sign her obviously cursed contract, and if it works out, I'll see about it permanently. Does that make you happy?" She leaned on the bannister, making George close his eyes for a moment with worry. It sort of amused her to see him like this. No one had ever reacted like this with her before, even that time she stood on the roof of the Manor. Draco just tempted her back down with hazelnuts, annoyed at the fact she was stargazing. (She was just curious as to why people in the novels found it romantic. She didn't find an answer.)

George nodded. "Please-"

"Ok." Natalia pushed herself off, walking forwards until she was directly in front of him, a few steps higher so she was at eye level. "This more comfortable for you?"

He smirked, taking one step up towards her, "well if you like living on the edge so much you'd step closer."

She faltered, not sure if he was just toying with her emotions again. Daring herself, she stepped closer, looking up at him. She smirked when his dropped off his face, evidently surprised she'd taken him up on the offer. "Is this close enough?" She whispered.  
Natalia could feel his breath on her face, his body heat-  
She was tempted, she'd admit, but there was no way she'd take that step, not when she wasn't sure what he wanted from her. They were dancing around the subject, never addressing it, stepping too close, seeing who would burn first.

"It's like Schrodinger's Cat," her father had laughed when she'd confided in him. "Neither of you know if the fire's there, and you won't until you step too close. So until you do, the fire both exists and doesn't exist."

But Natalia was convinced - well, nearly convinced - that the fire existed. And she refused to be the one who got burned.


	33. part 2 - 7 - casual attire

Natalia was true to her word, and after getting along fine in the first lesson (even if Hermione Granger did keep watching her as if she expected her to do something wrong) she did keep going back.  
The only downside was she couldn't quite master the transfiguration spell, so one of the twins had to do it for her each time.

She'd not made up with Draco yet, even though he'd made several attempts to make contact with her. Unless he downright apologised to her, she didn't want anything to do with him.  
Well, that was a lie, but Nat was too stubborn for her own good, even if they did have Prefect rounds together. And she often skipped out on those if she was honest.

She didn't talk to the twins - well, George - as much as she'd have liked. She blamed the OWLs, but in reality, she was scared of her own feelings and dwindling self-control when it came to him.  
She really needed advice, and Natalia cursed herself for being so stubborn - and not just with Malfoy, but her father as well.  
And then she'd get angry as her mother, then sad, and then she'd get so overwhelmed and spend the night staring across the Black Lake from the banks, regardless of whether it was raining.

George never joined her anymore.

She missed him. But if he ever asked, she missed his heating charm.  
Which was right at that particular moment. Her sat on the bank of the Black Lake, that is, missing George Weasley.

She skipped a stone, watching as it sunk below the surface.

Natalia couldn't help herself; she started thinking about how she wished she could talk to her dad. Which only led to her being angry at her mother for an innumerable amount of reasons.  
She launched a stone into the Lake, falling back with her hands covering her face. Nat felt like she wanted to scream until her voice died.

"Well, that was dramatic."

Nat opened her eyes, moving her hands. George. She sat up as quickly as she'd fallen, watching him. "You don't come here anymore."

"You come here every night."

"How-"

"Just because you don't see me," he charmed the ground as usual before sitting beside her, "doesn't mean I'm not here. You just seemed like you needed to be alone."

Natalia looked away. He cast a heating spell, and she turned towards him instinctively.

"Sorry." He looked a little sheepish. "Habit."

"It's ok. Why are you here tonight? If you think I want to be alone."

George raised an eyebrow. "Was I wrong?" Nat shrugged her shoulders, and answer he seemed content with for now. "Because... well, for starters, you were particularly violent in your stunning spell today. Ow, by the way. You seem angry, maybe you need advice or just to yell about it for a bit."

Natalia took a deep breath, clutching her wand. "I'm sorry about the stunning spell. But you're right, I'm pissed at my mother, need advice, but I can't go to Draco cause he's still being a prat-"

George snorted.

"-And I've had to cut contact with my dad. So I have no one really to turn to because... you're a Weasley."

"You know, Natalia, as in-love with myself as I am, I can be impartial. And I'll never lie to you."

It was Nat's turn to snort.

He grinned. "So I've bent the truth a little in the past. That was different. That was before... Well, all this. Whatever this is."

"It's... Schrodinger's cat." Natalia laughed bitterly. George looked confused so she moved on. "I don't want to step too close to you in fear of getting burned by a fire that may or may not be there. The only way to know if it exists is to step to close, but..." Natalia trailed off, not being able to bring herself to say it.

"So... where's the cat?" George frowned, trying ti figure it out.

She laughed in surprise.

"Was-was that a genuine laugh from Natalia White? Haven't heard that in a while."

"Shut up," She grumbled, but she couldn't fight the smile. "And forget about the undead cat."

"Why's the cat dead?" George asked, making Nat sigh in defeat.

"You're supposed to be giving me advice."

George shrugged, "if I fix your 'me' problem will you tell me about Shoddy's dead cat?"

Natalia nodded, and before she could register anything else, George's lips her on hers. Only for a moment, but the taste of toffee lingered, as did the feeling.

He left his hand on her cheek for a second, and watched as Nat's eyes flickered open. "Does that fix your 'me' problem?"

"No jokes."

"No jokes."

"Completely serious?"

He laughed, "do you want me to take the Vow that I'm telling the truth?"

Natalia blinked. "Schrodinger's cat is the psychological theory that if you have a cat in a box you can assume that the cat is both dead and alive because you can't see the cat or have any interaction with it." She barely breathed before carrying on, "as long as the box remains unopened and untouched the cat is simultaneously dead and alive, and by opening the box you are sealing its fate."

"So in your weird- I don't get it." He managed to interrupt himself. "If you don't feed that cat for lie two months it has to be dead, that's a more logical assumption." George looked completely lost, making Natalia giggle.

"I'll get you a whole book on it for Christmas if you shut up about the cat."

"Tempting, but I'd rather you explain it to me than a book."

Natalia rolled her eyes at his comically suggestive face. "You had a question."

"I did. So in your weird dead cat world, I just opened the box?"  
Natalia nodded.  
"And... was there any fire?"

She blinked, smiling slowly. "No."

George grinned, content.

Almost apologetically, she bumped his arm with her shoulder. "It still can't be public."

He smiled softly. "I know. I don't need it to be public, though I do hope one of these days you'll tell me why. I just need to know where we stand."

She thought for a moment. "You'll know when it becomes too big for me to hide anymore. And I'd like to date you."

George grinned wickedly. "I'd like to date me too!"

Natalia scoffed, laughing a little at his declaration.

"I mean, I'd hope you'd like to date me after that whole fiasco with the dead cat."

"Stop going on about the cat!" She hit his arm lightly with each word, making him laugh and fall over into the grass he hadn't charmed dry.

"Oh, you're going to pay for that one Natalia!" He grinned, putting a tickling charm on her, laughing as he watched her squirm for a bit.

Natalia gasped for air, sitting up again. "That was mean Georgie."

He grinned, "I'll pick you up at six, seventh floor corridor. Casual attire."


	34. part 2 - 8 - can't stop smiling

Natalia looked at herself in the mirror. "And you think I look ok?"

"You look beautiful, Nat." Lily smiled, joining her in the mirror. "Though I do wish you'd tell me who this mysterious date of yours is."

Nat only smiled.  
She was dressed fairly comfortably, with black jeans and a pastel peach shirt under a dark blue knitted jumper. Lily had insisted on makeup and jewellery, letting her borrow a few things as Natalia hardly wore any sort of jewellery, even lending her a pair of black high tops. Natalia almost wished she'd made friends with Lily sooner.

She supposed she looked ok, but she'd never felt so nervous before, and it was making her stomach turn over.

"You'll be fine. Just smile, be confident. After all, he wouldn't ask you on a date if he didn't actually like you." Lily stopped for a second, reconsidering her words, but Nat found them at least a little reassuring.

Natalia nodded, giving Lily a hug before they made their way down to the Common room. "Ok, I've got ten minutes. Thank you."

Lily smiled, fixing Nat's hair slightly. "You got this. I expect a detailed account when you get back."

She smiled, nodding before leaving. She could feel people staring at her as she did, but refused to turn and look. She didn't want to deal with Draco and Blaise, not right then.

It didn't take her long to get there, even if she did double back twice to make sure no one was following her.

"Natalia White." George was leaning against the wall in pale blue jeans and a black button-down shirt. He looked good, and stood as if he knew it.

Nat smiled, relaxing a bit. "George Weasley."

"You look good." He looked her up and down, making her blush.

"So do you."

He grinned - definitely knew he looked good - and opened the door behind him. "Shall we?"

**

An hour after curfew, Natalia returned to the Slytherin common room, sneaking up the stairs and into her room. She sighed contentedly, a smile permanently etched onto her face, and pulled open her Bed curtains, shrieking a little as she saw Lily sat there waiting for her.  
"Lily!" She whispered, still trying to steady her heartbeat.

"You're late!" She declared, "do we need to have the talk?"

Natalia stared at her, her expression somewhere between horror and amusement. "I'm going to get ready for bed. And then we can discuss... That."

Lily laughed quietly, settling back into Nat's bed already in her pjs.

Changing as quickly and quietly as she could Natalia really couldn't keep the smile from her face. The date with George had gone better than she could have ever imagined, and seeing as no one would dare be out so far after curfew with Umbridge still stalking the halls, he was even able to walk her back to the Common room and give her a 'goodnight kiss'. Natalia had insisted he didn't need to, and that it was cheesy, but George refused to listen, and Nat was secretly glad about that.

She climbed into bed next to Lily, waving her wand to close the bed curtains again before placing her wand carefully on her side table.

"So," Lily giggled, "you can't stop smiling!"

Natalia looked down, and she could feel the blush rising in her cheeks. "Honestly Lil, I've never felt so... Well. It's like he gave me a purpose, something to strive for." Of course, Lily probably had no idea what that meant, and Nat had no intention of telling her, at least not yet.

Lily brushed her ginger curls out of her eyes, smiling sleepily, the long day catching up with her. "You're so lucky to have that."

Nat smiled, snuggling down into the warmth of her covers. "I know."


	35. part 2 - 9 - hospital time

Natalia stared down at her cherry pancakes. It was her dad's birthday, and it was always tradition when she was younger to have the favourite pancakes of whose ever birthday it was. Blueberry for Natalia, cherry for her dad, maple syrup for her mum. She'd asked the house elves for them in her first year, for herself and her dad, and they'd never missed a year. She refused to even talk about her mother even then.

But looking at them now only made her miss him even more, made her angrier at her mum.

"Natalia." Draco stood by her right shoulder, clutching a letter so tightly it was creasing, his knuckled white.

She didn't bother to respond.

"Lily, could we have a minute?"

Lily looked at Nat who didn't look up. "Yeah. But if she doesn't want to talk, she doesn't talk."

Draco didn't respond at all, keeping his eyes trained on Natalia.

Finally, she pushed away her pancakes, resting her chin in her palm. He took it as an invitation.

"I know we're not currently speaking, but we can't ignore this, Natalia." He dropped the letter in front of her.

She took her time opening it, smoothing out the creases he'd made, before slowly opening it. But she wasted no time in skipping the unimportant garbage, getting to whatever had Malfoy scared stiff.

-something coming. Contact will have to be limited, the ministry can't get suspicious. Tell Natalia to get ready and keep the recent present from her mother safe and away from everyone - including the original owner. Especially the original owner.

It felt as though someone had slapped her around the face and thrown her into space without a suit or way to get home.  
She stood, nearly knocking Draco over in the process. Latching on to him, she stared down at the words now echoing in her head like a broken record. "So, it's really happening? Soon?" Her eyes were wide, searching, hoping it was all a trick so she would talk to him, but he looked just as terrified as she did. Well, not as terrified; his fear was confined to his eyes. Natalia was sure hers was easily readable from her face.

"It's happening. It's planned. That's all he'll tell me, all he will risk saying by owl. We're not invited for Christmas."

Natalia felt as though there was a lump in her throat, her mouth running dry and she felt hot and cold at the same time. Her hand was still on his arm, she could tell she was cutting the circulation off by the way he kept flexing his hand but she felt as though if she let go she'd drown in her own mind.

"Goddamn it, Natalia where's your damn boyfriend can't you cut off the circulation in his arm instead." He growled under his breath, dragging her along out of the Great Hall.

"I broke up with him." She stuttered, not really able to comprehend anything other than the fact that within the next few months she would again be face to face with her own mother. Except this time, there would be no dementors sucking away the happiness, there would be no chains in the way. Just the two of them, free.

Draco waited until they were somewhere decidedly more secluded before detaching her hand from his arm, shaking it to regain some feeling in it. "I'm not talking about Blaise. You really think I wouldn't notice? Come on Nat."

She could barely get her head around the news about her mother, never mind the fact Draco was well aware about her and George.  
Then again, it was Draco Malfoy. He knew nearly everything that happened within the walls of Hogwarts. And what he didn't know it was likely Natalia knew them instead.

She stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "I'm going to throw up."

His eyes widened as she held her stomach and went white as a sheet, pulling her through the hall to a bathroom, shoving everyone out of the way. It was the boys' toilets they came too first, but it would have to do. He shoved her into a stall, locking the door behind them.  
He held her hair back, rubbing her back as she threw up whatever she'd been able to stomach at breakfast.  
"Ok, when you're done here we'll get you to the infirmary, there's no way you're going to class today."

Natalia sat back, resting her head on the stall wall. "I'm- I'm fine-" She tried to convince him but he just rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe you're making me sit on this filthy floor."

Natalia could barely manage a smile. Her mother's face was floating in her mind, her unhinged smile making her skin crawl, her natter and chatter, endless rantings and ravings about blood status and the Dark Lord...  
She retched into the toilet again, trying to get rid of all memories, all thoughts and feelings and relations she had with Daphne Rosier. Seeing as it was in her DNA, Natalia would probably be there for a while.

"Malfoy? Is that you?" There was a knock at the door.

"Ah, good, just who I was hoping for." Draco sighed, making sure he still held her hair back from her face and unlocked the door. "I really can't tell, but I'm hoping you're George."

George nodded, eyes on Natalia. "What's wrong?"

Natalia sat back, slightly dizzy, breathing laboured.

"Family matters causing extreme stress and... well, this is what happens when she'd put under extreme stress," Draco explained, trying to make sure she was ok. "Just waiting for her to stop-"

As if on cue, Natalia started retching into the toilet again.

"-throwing up long enough to get her to Madam Pomfrey, Merlin's pants Natalia how much could you possibly have eaten." He sat with her again, rubbing her back.

George stared for a second before seemingly coming to his senses. "Bloody hell." He muttered, quickly dropping his bag, pulling out a decoy detonator and pointing his wand at it and muttering a few transfiguration spells under his breath. He managed to transfigure it into a bucket. "I'll hold this, you carry her, we can't leave her here."

Draco stared at him, trying to decipher what he meant, but did as he was told (Natalia would try and remember exactly what made him do that later, but she was too out of it when it was happening to notice) and lifted her, making sure to keep her on her side as much as he could. George tried to help, but with the height difference, and Natalia not being able to control whatever was happening to her, it made it difficult to even get five feet without having to stop and readjust

Natalia tried to stand on her own, but admittedly everything was spinning around her head so fast it was difficult for her to even remember to breathe.

It took them a while, but eventually, they staggered into the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey took one look at her and directed her immediately to a bed along with a proper, self-cleaning bucket. "What happened? Did she wake up like this?"

Draco shook his head. "Stress."

She looked at him as if he'd grown a third head - or something alarming to her, Draco wouldn't put it past her to have seen it. "Stress?"

Draco gave her a pointed look. "Family stress."

She pursed her lips, nodding. George looked confused but didn't want to press the matter with Natalia... well, with Natalia as she was.

George looked as though he wanted to stay, but one pointed look from Madam Pomfrey and he begrudgingly left for his classes. Draco stayed, pushing his luck, sitting by her bed.

"Anything in particular about her family stresses that set it off?"

Draco knew this was her way of asking if she had any information, but he definitely couldn't endanger his father's place in the ministry. Voldemort would kill him without a second thought. So he shrugged, "well she recently had to cut all contact with her father. He's gone away for work, Special forces in the muggle army," Draco lied through his teeth, "maybe something to do with that."


	36. part 2 - 10 - safety first

Natalia stood outside McGonagall's classroom waiting for her lesson to end. She knew McGonagall had pulled every favour she had so Umbridge couldn't interrogate her in the medical wing, and Nat thought that at least warranted a thank you.

The first years filed out, and Natalia slipped in, clutching her bag strap.

"Professor." She smiled a little, trying to seem at least half ok.

McGonagall looked at her with a soft expression. "Miss White. What can I do for you?"

Nat blinked, unable to say anything for a few seconds. "I just wanted to say thank you. For keeping Umbridge away."

"Ah." She readjusted her glasses. "Come to my office for a cup of tea."

Natalia relaxed a little but still wasn't entirely comfortable. She followed Professor McGonagall to her office, sitting in the armchair. It was quite comfortable, and Nat wondered for a moment if it was charmed to make it more comfortable as it grew older and was clearly at the end of its life.

McGonagall poured her a cup of tea with one sugar, though how she knew Natalia couldn't for the life of her figure out, and gently put a plate of biscuits in front of her, neatly arranged. "Would you like to talk, Miss White?"

Nat froze, cup halfway to her mouth. She lowered it, staring down at it suspiciously. "Does it..."

McGonagall gave a tight smile. "No. but you should know that this is a safe place for you to talk about anything. Especially what put you in the infirmary."

She took a sip of the tea, and, not feeling compelled to spill every secret she had, decided to trust her. "I won't say anything more about that other than I've completely cut ties with my father. He's gone and I don't know where, on my request." She looked up at her teacher "We both know who my mother is. I know you've all been watching me closely this year, and we all know the Dark Lord-" the ghost of a smirk danced across her face as McGonagall flinched a little, "-is back. There's no denying it, whatever the papers are saying, whatever the Ministry is saying."

"Well, if you don't want to talk about it-"

"I never said that, Professor. I said I won't." Natalia let down her walls a little, and McGonagall really saw how exhausted she was, how sad and tired and scared she was. "I won't risk anyone's safety."


	37. part 2 - 11 - accidental curses

Natalia sat at breakfast, her stomach turning over and over as she read the letter from George.  
It had been a little alarming when all of a sudden the entire Weasley family just wasn't there on morning, especially so close to Christmas, and Nat had wondered if Mrs Weasley had finally had enough and called them all home, but the letter explained it all.

"Natalia." Lily interrupted her thoughts. "Natalia, you're not listening to me!" She laughed, and Natalia apologised, blushing, folding the letter and putting it in her pocket.

"What were you saying?"

Lily smiled, taking Natalia's plate from in front of her. She wondered when Lily had managed to figure out when she was feeling too sick to eat, but it wasn't necessarily important. "I was saying, you're welcome to come and spend Christmas with my family. It won't be as luxurious as you get with the Malfoys, or probably even at home, but you're more than welcome."

Nat blinked a few times. "No, thank you. I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to be a burden, and besides," she took a deep breath, "I wouldn't know what to get your family for Christmas. I'd feel rude intruding without presents for them."

She smiled sadly and nodded. "You're welcome any time, and you don't need to bring anything."

Nat promised she'd remember, and walked with Lily to the carriages to wave her goodbye. Draco had already gone, not to the Manor, but to Blaise's. He hated spending Christmas at Hogwarts if he could help it, and Blaise was usually willing to have him. Nat hadn't even bothered speaking to him yet; she wasn't even sure what she would say.

Natalia turned back to the Castle, walking through the empty halls. It was too quiet, too peaceful. It seemed wrong without someone causing havoc in the halls, and Nat thought for a moment about doing it herself just to gain that sense of normality back. Then Peeves flew right by her screaming rhymes about Umbridge and the urge passed.

It would be strange, by herself for Christmas and her birthday, but then, it would be weirder with a bunch of Death Eaters. It would be weird with her mum when it came to it. She didn't want to think about that.

Christmas day arrived, and Natalia was sort of excited for her own little celebration. With no one really around that cared for her it had made her realise who had often put the effort in for her, and she'd decided to buy each house elf a small present. She wasn't entirely sure what they liked, so she'd bought each of them a hat that she'd modified to fit each of them. There were quite a lot, but luckily George had taught her the extension charm not too long ago, so she piled them into her bag and left just before breakfast.

It was always a risk getting to the kitchens for her, but with a significant lack of people, it was a lot easier. She walked in, quickly catching the attention of them all, even as they were busy getting breakfast ready.

"Miss- Miss White?" Dobby stood forward.

Natalia smiled. "Hello, Dobby. Keeping well?"

"Yes, yes ma'am." He smiled. "Miss Nat was always kind to Dobby."

Nat smiled a little. "I've brought presents. For all of you." She placed the bag on the floor, opening it up. "There should be one for each, if I'm short I'll be back, please let me know." Nat smiled, a little awkwardly, backing out, leaving the bag open on the floor. She knew she should probably have said more, but she was never good in those kinds of situations. Her father blames her mother. Natalia blamed her mother leaving.

Christmas was fairly uneventful, other than Peeves smashing yet another chandelier in front of Umbridge (Natalia cursed his lack of timing or aim) and throwing snowballs at all the paintings. Natalia was, admittedly a little bored. She thought briefly about taking Lily up on her offer, but decided against it, ultimately deciding to just stick it out. After all, she had free reign of the castle, and there was so much she could do to piss off Umbridge.

After all, the woman was ghastly, even during the holidays, and Natalia still hadn't forgiven her for the light scarring on her hand reading 'I will attend class'.

So she called her broomstick, thankful now that George had taught her charms as well as he could, and working alongside what Harry had taught her, she was becoming quite a force to be reckoned with. That and her curses were significantly stronger now, even without her usual focus or concentration. She was going to practice them non-verbally next.

Natalia grinned wickedly, biding her time, waiting for dinner before she picked up her broomstick again. She opened the wall, mounting and laughing as she kicked off from the ground and went zipping through the halls, making a quick pitstop before continuing, spiralling up the staircase and through to the great hall where she zipped around the room pulling tricks, flips and even standing on it high in the ceiling, looking down at everyone laughing and staring up at her. She could have sworn she saw McGonagall hiding a smile, but it could have been a trick of the light.

"Miss White get down at once!" Umbridge screamed as Dumbledore made his way calmly towards the door. There was no doubt he was smiling.

Natalia was still stood on her broom, trying to keep her balance. She saw Umbridge point her wand at her and fell to sit on the broom and pull it out of the way just in time. "Well, I wouldn't recommend that. Might cause me to fall and from this height? Could cause damage." She tutted, shaking her head.

Umbridge looked as though she didn't care, but McGonagall put her hand on her arm. Nat was grateful, there was no way she could taunt Umbridge and dodge out of the way.

She smiled, climbing down a little so they would be able to see her easier.

"Miss White, really." McGonagall raised an eyebrow.

Nat lay down, using a simple charm to keep herself on the broom. She pulled the black quill out of her pocket, holding it above her hand. "I suppose this is... you won't need this anymore. Not after Christmas." She grinned, knowing the confusion and fear she was causing.

"Miss White I really do insist," McGonagall replied, taking her hand from Umbridge's arm, a big mistake.

The broom jolted to the side in a move designed to knock Natalia off. Luckily, her spells held and Nat stayed securely on the broom. She did, unfortunately, drop her wand and the Black Quill, turning quickly to try and catch her wand, eyes going directly to Umbridge's with a glare so strong it made her take two steps backwards. And then a few more. And-

Natalia gaped, immediately breaking eye contact, jumping onto the table and grabbing he wand, muttering the countercurse before Umbridge drowned on her own breath. She stared in horror, as did Umbridge, and McGonagall looked as though she were about to faint. "I-" Natalia's knuckles went white clutching her wand an broomstick.

"Go." Umbridge pointed to the doors. "I will have you expelled."

Natalia went white, suddenly aware of everything going on around her. She got out of there as quick as possible, not even entirely sure where she was going until she ended up at the bank of the Black Lake.


	38. part 2 - 12 - interesting

Luckily, the matter with Natalia was smoothed over by Dumbledore and McGonagall - though she wouldn't have been surprised if Lucius had spoken to the Minister on her behalf. She was probably going to get an earful about making his job harder under pressing times, but she couldn't care less, not right now. Not with her own mother staring back at her.

Draco was staring at her, she could feel it, but there was no way she could tear her eyes away from the article.

"So it's finally happened." She whispered, not daring to blink. It was stupid, really, but it felt as though if she looked away her mother would somehow be right there with her, staring down at her.

Draco reached out to take the paper away, but Nat wouldn't let him. "Natalia, please."

She let go of it, and he covered the photo, making sure the paper was completely out of her reach.

"Mass breakout in Azkaban!" Lily practically threw herself into the seat in front of Nat, slamming the paper on the table.

Draco sighed. "There's no getting away from this." He muttered as Natalia rebuilt all of her walls, rebuilt the impression that everything was fine.

"Blamed on Sirius Black!" Lily looked completely furious. "I've half a mind to write to the Minister himself! Or even replace every journalist working there!"

"Come on Lils! There's no way you could do all that and study. Umbridge would have you thrown out for telling lies!" Natalia giggled as Lily grinned. She could feel Draco glaring at her; he wanted to talk about it, properly, but Nat knew she couldn't stomach it, not right now.

With her mother out of Azkaban, it meant she would be coming for her in the summer, and she wouldn't stop until she had what she wanted. Daphne Rosier was relentless.  
Natalia caught sight of a blur of red hair, shaking her head to otry and clear her mind for a few seconds.

George.

He'd be in danger now, she would have to be more careful. She shivered, feeling as though someone had walked over her grave. Lily looked a little concerned, but Nat smiled a little, standing. "Well, I've got stuff to do. Letters to write. Besides, I need to order some new shoes, so I should probably do that before Voldemort murders everyone."  
It was definitely a tasteless joke, but for some reason it made her feel better to just joke about everything. Maybe that was why the twins did it...

Regardless, her mother would be in contact any day now, and she had to be prepared. She'd had her eye on a sheath for the dagger for sometime, so she could keep it safely on her person without having to worry about it catching her or someone else, or without someone finding it in her room. And with her mother out...  
Well, she knew her mother. Daphne would do anything to get it back, to get back to her 'mission'.

"Natalia White." George was leaning on one side of the hallway, Fred on the other.

"Weasleys." She managed to choke out, wrenching her mind back to the present. "How can I be of service?"

They exchanged amused smiles. "We received your presents."

She grinned, "and?"

"Caused an enquiry into us."

Natalia shrugged, not letting on that she had no idea what they were talking about. "You know me. I thrive in chaos."

Fred laughed, but Nat couldn't decifer it. "We couldn't figure out how you managed it."

"But that's beside the point."

"Did you at least like them?" Natalia grinned.

George rolled his eyes. "Very creative."

"Accurate." She sniggered.

Fred rolled his eyes next. "We still don't know which is meant for who."

Natalia shrugged. "Well, whoever came up with the idea wears the 'you said' shirt, I thought that was obvious." She smiled as innocently as possible but she could tell it wasn't working.

They rolled their eyes in sync, but had wicked grins on their faces that made Natalia squirm. "Well, we also got you a Christmas present."

She eyes them suspiciously. "Ok. You've been back ages and you think today is the day to give it to me?"

"Well it only came today!" They spoke in sync, freaking her out yet again. She really needed to speak to them about that, but knowing them they already knew and did it for that exact reason.

They handed her the perfectly-wrapped gift, which only made her even more suspicious. "Who wrapped it?" She asked and they glanced at each other, clearly guilty.

"Mum."

"Oh dear lord." She muttered under her breath. "Ok." She unwrapped it, revealing a hand-knitted pastel blue jumper along with several individually-wrapped boxes containing wands.  
"First, which one of you knits!" She sniggered, "second, wands? I don't get it."

Fred grinned at George. "Try casting."

She eyes him curiously. Her trust for these two was dwindling fast. She opened one and pointed it at one of the twins. "Stupefy." The wand shot out red sparks directly at his chest, and the other pulled him out of the way just in time. Natalia stared before grinning. "Well that makes everything just a little more interesting."


	39. part 2 - 13 - no choice

Natalia stared down at the newspaper clipping she'd taken and kept in her drawer. There was no way people weren't going to find out. Someone would read something, Skeeter would publish something, and someone somewhere would make the connection.  
She just wanted George to hear it from her first before anyone else found out and told him. Better coming from her, right?

He wasn't making it easy, keeping her smiling and laughing even when she felt most like screaming in anger and frustration or hiding from fear.

She shook the thoughts from her head, pocketing the clipping. She'd tell him tonight, out in the night, where they always found time to just be together, properly.

But first, the DA had another meeting, more advanced charms, and Natalia knew she was going to struggle. Especially if she hadn't practised as much as possible with George, which, seeing as Christmas had just gone and he and Fred were practically overrun with Owl Service orders, was entirely probable.

She ran off, making sure to dodge Draco and- well, everyone in Slytherin. It seemed they were all part of that damn inquisitorial squad, which just made Nat want to tear her hair out. She wasn't entirely past the urge either.  
But then, she'd been thinking recently that she'd belong more there than in the DA. After all, these were the people she'd be fighting against when the war arrived on Harry Poter's doorstep, and she was learning from them, from Harry Bloody Potter as if everything was ok. As if she wasn't a Death Eater's daughter. As if she'd have a choice.

But she wasn't completely over the illusion, wasn't done pretending. Not yet.

**

Natalia stood in the Room of Requirement, in front of the mirrors where Harry had placed an old photo. She recognised his parents immediately, and Sirius Black... a few other faces seemed familiar, and she wondered if it was because of her mother or just because their kinds looked enough like them. It was difficult to tell sometimes, especially when she found it difficult to sort her own memories from her mother's stories.  
She could feel George watching her, and she glanced to see him lingering behind her,

She pulled the two photos out of her pockets, staring down at them. It was finally sinking in, she was finally recognising her mother for what she was, finally coming to terms with it.  
The photo from the frame in her room was a lie, a fragment of a fantasy land where happy endings existed. The other was the newspaper clipping. Reality.  
"I don't belong in the DA."

"Don't be silly Nat."

"I'm not." She met his gaze in the mirror, feeling the transfiguration spell fade. She needed to look like herself for this, needed to look like her mother. Which was why she'd left her hair in its natural curls rather than straightening it.

George sighed, "come the war-"

"Come the war I'll be o the other side." She hung her head, not be able to hold his gaze, not with what she was about to say. If she waited, she'd chicken out, and he deserved to know who she was.

"What."

Natalia placed the photo of her and her mother on the mirror, keeping it there with a simple spell. "This- this was taken when I was nine. June twenty-eighth. My-" She cleared her throat, "-my dad took this. He's a muggle. I know most people think he was a wizard, a muggle-born, but he's from no magical descent."

George was right behind her now, staring at the photo over her shoulder. "You look so like her. She must have been young when she had you, she looks twenty-something there."

Natalia ignored him. "And this," she placed the clipping of her mother in Azkaban right beside it, "is Daphne Rosier."  
She didn't need to see his face to know his reaction, but she turned, placing herself directly next to the photo. "Look familiar?"

"Natalia." He whispered, transfixed with the newspaper clipping.

"Everyone was right about me." She could feel herself putting her walls back up, building more and more until there was no room left and there was a whole ocean between her and everyone else. "I do come from some rich, pure-blood Death Eater family. In fact, my mother was definitely one of the worst, if you care to know why I'm sure your father can tell you why. So come the war, when it arrives - and believe me it will - I will be on the other side. I don't have a choice, Georgie."

He flinched at the nickname, his jaw clenched, expression otherwise unreadable. "You always have a choice, Natalia."

She could feel him trying to pull down her walls, trying to reach her, convince her.

"No, George. Not if I want to live. Not if I want you to live."


	40. part 2 - 14 - restless

Things had gone downhill for Natalia since she'd told George. She avoided the seventh floor as much as she could, but she still wanted to continue with the DA so she tried to keep her head down in the classes as much as possible. Of course, she had friends there - not that they knew who she was, but Luna was there and was always welcoming to most anyone she met, so Nat fit right in with her there.

Umbridge was still a pain and constantly nit-picking with Natalia, finding any reason possible to give her detention and use the Black Quill on her; she supposed it was her own way of punishing Nat when the Minister himself had told her to stand down and not do anything. After all, Nat was just a child and posed no serious threat...  
Or, at least, that's how Lucius had spun things, making it seem as though her father leaving was causing her to act out and make life difficult for those around her. And he was right, in a way. It was how Lucius got away with so much; there was always some truth in everything he was saying.

Natalia did not, however, help herself in the situation, constantly wandering the halls when she was "supposed" to be in History of Magic. Which inevitably led to Umbridge finding her one day and immediately giving her a week's worth of detention there and then writing lines with her torture device.  
So there she was, sat at that god-awful table by the wall in Umbridge's office every night fr a week writing the same lines over and over for over an hour sometimes, usually turning up late for dinner with her hand bleeding.

Draco was bandaging it for her one night, jaw set, eyes blazing with rage."You need to let me write to my father." He growled, though Natalia could tell he would never do it without her permission. He was becoming warier and warier of her as the weeks went by, her seemingly calm demeanour to most things, her lack of outward fear or stress that she normally showed when it came to her family or even exams. Natalia wasn't sure if she liked it or not, but decided the power wasn't good for her.

"You can't. He's already done enough for me, I wouldn't want to cause him any more grief. Besides, she would know I said something. I don't want her to have that satisfaction of knowing she got to me, or even think that I'm too weak. I don't want her to make my life any more of a living hell than it already is."

Draco looked at her a little sympathetically, which was definitely new. Natalia wondered when he'd learned it and sniggered to herself. "Look, I know things didn't really go well with Goerge, but that doesn't mean you have to constantly put on a brave face in front of everyone. Come on, Nat, I know you."

She shrugged, pulling her hand away from his knee where she'd been resting it as he bandaged it. They'd yet to find any kind of healing spell for it, and Nat was starting to wonder if one even existed; it seemed to be full of powerful curses and dark magic to make it as strong as it was. She could feel the power in it every time she picked it up, but she'd never admit that. People were already cautious of her, wondering if she really was a ticking time bomb, and Umbridge would have her thrown in Azkaban if she suspected that Natalia was even remotely like her mother.

She wondered if she'd have the words 'I must attend class' scarred onto her hand forever, or if eventually, it would fade. She wondered what would happen if she had to write new lines, something different: would it replace the current line or go to her other hand? Would it cover the scar or would it be in another place altogether?

Draco would crucify her if he found out what she was thinking, but it was more curiosity than anything else.

"Natalia, I seriously don't get this." Lily dropped into the chair by the side of the sofa, slamming a Herbology textbook on the table. "I mean, there are too many plants to remember, too many different ways to harvest, when to harvest, what to harvest- I'm beginning to think I don't even know what 'harvest' means anymore!"

Natalia laughed, picking up the textbook and flicking to the paged earmarked, glancing over each one before realising what Lily's problems were. "For god's sake Lily, this isn't even the right damn book!" She accio'd her own copy from her room and laughed a little as she saw a few seventh years ducking out of the way without batting an eye, handing her the book. "Here, use mine. I already have my notes anyway, no real use for it anymore."

Lily thanked her, finding it a lot easier to understand (especially as Natalia had written notes in the margins in class when she didn't have the parchment for it) and quietly sat there reading, occasionally readjusting her glasses.

Natalia settled back to watch the fire, trying to keep her mind clear, but she could hear the rain and feel the need to be out there rising in her. George wouldn't be there, he never was. Not anymore.


	41. part 2 - 15 - make it work

Patronuses were hard, Natalia wouldn't mind admitting. She did mind admitting that she didn't exactly have any strong happy memories to choose from. None that wouldn't cause her heart to break all over again.  
Thinking of those days when she was a child, back before everything became so complicated, it was enough to cause something to happen, just not a full-bodied patronus.

She could hear Draco's voice, condescending tone and all, telling her not to be an idiot, that she knew which memories to use. She just had to push through the aching in her stomach and heart to get to them.

"Come on, Nat." She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and dove into the rainy nights where they always found time for each other, having odd conversations, like that time they argued about the usefulness of the leg-locking curse.  
And then, when she cast expecto patronum again, a full patronus, an Ocicat of all things, appeared, chasing things around the room and making her laugh.

That's when it happened. The bangs on the wall, everyone losing focus, the mirror falling, and Natalia had to cast the transfiguration spell again as her focus slipped just a little too much.  
The wall blew apart, making Natalia point her wand at it instinctively, a curse ready on her lips before she realised what exactly had happened. She stopped herself just in time, seeing Umbridge standing there with that awful smile of victory on her face, along with the Inquisitorial squad. "Get them!" 

Harry Potter was dragged off to Dumbledore's office, while the rest of them were told in no uncertain terms they were to wait for Umbridge to return to dole out their punishments. 

Natalia tuned most of it out, trying to focus on the damn transfiguration spell. She could feel it slipping, along with her patience and temper, when one finally stuck and she could relax a little more. 

Now all she had to worry about would be how she was going to somehow disappear at the exact times of their detention every day without anyone noticing. 

Defeated, they all returned to their respective common rooms under supervision, but Natalia really didn't feel like sticking around so she managed to hide around a pillar and remove the spell, becoming herself again, and slipping away.   
Nat didn't exactly have a specific place in mind, just decided to roam the grounds, pretending she was on her Prefect rounds, before finally ending up in the Astronomy Tower again, sitting precariously on the edge. 

She knew she'd have to go back to the common room eventually, back to hanging around with everyone who'd got them all caught for only trying to learn how to defend themselves against certain death as if she was fine. She'd have to hide her hand, though her frequently being in detention with Umbridge anyway for "skipping class" would probably account for the semi-permanent bandage she would have to wear.

Staring down at her feet dangling over the edge, over nothing. She was scaring herself this year, especially since her mother had escaped. She'd had a sheath ordered and delivered fr the dagger, keeping it on her all the time now. Not that anyone really knew she kept it on her - Draco would almost certainly chastise her for 'carelessness' - but she was becoming more and more paranoid about her mother, even though she knew, in theory, she was safe at Hogwarts.

"You should come back from the edge. I heard dying is bad for your health." 

"Maybe you can put me in a box, pretend I'm alive."

He didn't respond, and she didn't move. 

"Did you come here to push me off or just watch me fall?" Finally, Natalia broke the too-long silence.

"Neither," he was right behind her now, "I'm here to pull you back in."

Natalia sighed, refusing to move. "You should go."

George rolled his eyes, simply sitting beside her with his legs crossed - though he was further back from the edge. "My offer still stands. You're welcome at the Burrow any time."

Shaking her head, she refused to look at him, afraid that if she did he would be able to pull out every last secret she had left in her. "You still want to know me after what my mother did?" 

He laughed, but it was reserved, as if he wasn't sure he was supposed to be laughing. "You are not your mother. So you share a resemblance. You're not her, she chose her path. Besides, I didn't ask my dad."

She turned her head to face him so fast she thought she might give herself whip-lash. "Why not? My mother could have tortured half your family and you would have no idea."

"Well did she?"

"No." Nat shrugged, "but that's not the point."

George grinned, "look, Natalia, I'm not interested. Unless you want to tell me yourself, I simply do not care."

"Took you long enough to realise it." She muttered, earning a smile from him. She grimaced; he wasn't supposed to hear it.

He shrugged, sitting in silence with her for a few moments. "Look, Fred doesn't care that we're dating."

"We're still dating? It's been two damn months George."

He flushed, looking down a little sheepishly. "I know and I'm sorry. It took me a while to come to terms with it. But I really do like you, Natalia."

She considered for a moment. "I just can't- I can't go through what I've been through these past two months. So if we do this we have to make it work."

George smiled as though she'd given him the next week's lottery numbers. Not that he knew what that was exactly, but nonetheless, he seemed pleased. Now she just had to figure out how the hell she was going to make it work on her end.


	42. part 2 - 16 - detention

Natalia's hand twitched as she wrote the lines, over and over, her blood dripping onto the page. It wasn't particularly a pleasant feeling, and it often made her lose complete concentration, so she had to cast the transfiguration spell multiple times in the hour they were there. 

Draco had found out about the sheath when she'd been shoved into sitting next to him by Lily sitting next to her, and the look of worry and fear in her eyes had made her cringe internally. She could tell he was worried about her losing her own opinions and mind - something Natalia had noticed happening a while ago. She blamed fear. He said it was because she was too scared of taking such a final step away from everything she'd known. He was one to speak, at least Natalia had met Voldemort. She was seven at the time, and in fact, couldn't remember much of the interaction, but it was more contact than Draco had ever had with him. The difference between Natalia and Draco, she thought, was that she was afraid of her mother, and what she could do, he was afraid of the Dark Lord and what he might do. 

She looked down and realised she'd stopped writing her lines, pausing halfway through, resulting in a line that simply said: I will not break

She smiled a little, her jaw still clenched from pain, but she shook it off and continued writing. 

She could hear the cries and sobs from several of the members and made a point to try and figure out who they were. She knew she wasn't very good at healing spells, not as good as Draco, but once she figured out who was crying (she had to guess sometimes, but if she was wrong she'd at least be helping someone) she tried to cast healing spells in their direction, taking at least some of their pain. Of course, she had no idea if it worked or anything, seeing as they couldn't exactly communicate, but she hoped it did. 

They left the hall when the hour was up, and Natalia slumped exhausted by the side of the hall, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chest. Keeping multiple spells going through that as well as trying not to think too hard about anything that might cause her to accidentally cast a curse in someone's direction was emotionally and physically draining, and she wasn't sure how long she could keep it up.

"N-Natalia White?" She looked up. Hermione Granger. She'd been crying, probably from pain.

Nat nodded, not daring to stand in case she fell or passed out. 

Hermione held out a small pot of paste to her. "This should help the pain. Heals it faster too."

Natalia reached out and took it, staring at Hermione. "I didn't say anything. To anyone." 

"I know."

"I'm sorry." She gently took Hermione's hand, pointing her wand at it. She pretended not to notice her flinch. She muttered about six different advanced healing spells, each of which making a small impact on Granger's hand.

"How- I tried fr weeks!"

Natalia lowered her gaze. "I used to know someone with a Black Quill, it was difficult, but we found some more advanced healing spells in old books. I'm not that good at them, so they'll have limited impact. They only work fully if you have a bond with someone." 

"We don't have a bond."

"Hence limited impact."

Hermione looked confused but walked away, and Natalia finally stood, using the wall to help keep her balance. 

She could feel the sheathed dagger pressing into her thigh, so she had to adjust her position. Tentatively, she spread some of the weird paste thing on her hand and gasped at the immediate relief. It wasn't completely gone, but the pain was significantly reduced and she could feel it fading.

She spotted Fred and George comforting Nigel in the hall, and Harry stood close by them. She frowned, glaring at Umbridge, and had to restrain herself from cursing her and making the rest of her life short and painful.


	43. part 2 - 17 - Dear Talia-Delphine

**Dear Talia-Delphine**

**Our plans have been realised! The Dark Lord has returned and freed us from our hell. It is more than I could have hoped for, and now all I wis is for you to join our ranks, taking the Dark Mark into your skin and heart, and becoming one with us all. The Dark Lord has agreed to accept you should you wish, even before you are seventeen, saying he has plans for you should you accept.**

**Your father has moved away, not giving us contact, which is disappointing. But I shall have to make do without him.  
For now, I am staying, along with Bellatrix Lestrange, with the Malfoys, and they inform me that you are close with their son, Draco. This alliance, though risky until we become victorious, is one I highly commend, whether you cement it with marriage or simply an alliance. They also have informed me you spend all holidays with them, having refused contact with your father for quite some time now.**

**This does not surprise me, but rather is something I had wished to hear from yourself. I realised after all, when you came to visit me with someone from the Ministry - who I now recognise as Lucius Malfoy - that you really are my daughter, and you take after me in more ways than simply looks and potential.**

**I hope you don't disappoint me.  
Write soon, **

**Mother ~ xx ******


	44. part 2 - 18 - just a bit of fun

Natalia had come to the conclusion that Narcissa was trying to protect her as much as possible from the wrath of her mother, with everything from the letter, and was definitely the reason Daphne was staying with them. If Natalia were left alone with her for an extended period of time, only one of them would come out of it intact, and Narcissa definitely knew this. 

Draco had read the letter and destroyed it, but it had already been burned into Natalia's mind. "Focus on your OWL exams, Natalia." He said, and she was trying, but every so often someone would put the wrong emphasis on her name and she was taken right back to the letter, and the process of trying to focus and forget the inevitable fall-out with her mother started all over again. 

Nat couldn't become a Death Eater. She didn't stand by their beliefs or morals, she thought for herself, there was no way she was giving away that control to Voldemort.   
Although- while she argued that point she was always reminded of how she definitely didn't have a choice when the war came.   
Draco said she was trying to convince herself. Natalia thought he was making stuff up.

"Miss White!" Snape slammed a book in front of her, making her snap back to reality. "Is there something wrong?"

"Um, n-no, professor." She stammered, trying to shake her mind back to the potions lesson they were currently in. 

"Then why have you not done anything I have instructed you to do?" 

Natalia clenched her jaw, getting on with the essays on the board. It wasn't particularly difficult for her to write an essay on a potion's effects and uses, seeing as it was one of her better classes. She would admit she was becoming more and more stressed about her OWL exams, and it was taking its toll on what little sleep she could get.

They finished, handing in their essays, and Natalia sighed as she realised she had charms homework to complete. Maybe she could beg George to help her if she could find him. 

"Nat, seriously, where is your head?" Lily fell into step with her, giggling a little.

Nat grimaced, "on that charms homework we have for tomorrow."

"Ah."

"Well well well." 

"If it isn't Natalia White."

Lily frowned in confusion before they turned and saw the Weasley twins walking towards them. "Do you two always announce your presence to her like that?"

"Well, how would you like us to announce it?" Fred grinned at her. 

George laughed, "it's not like we have a theme tune to follow us everywhere."

Natalia rolled her eyes, regretting teasing them about that now. "Well, I don't know, the usual bangs and banshee-like screams from Umbridge work well enough as a theme tune. What can I do for you troublemakers?" 

Lily looked at Natalia as though she'd lost her head, making her remember Lily never knew of her agreement with the Weasley twins - or even that it had become more than that with George. "Nat we gotta go study."

"You can go study, seriously, I'll be fine. I'd rather take the detention than do that damn charms homework anyway." Nat grinned, and Lily looked as though she didn't trust Nat. 

"No. If you're going to get in trouble for something dumb I'm coming with."

"Lily-"

Lily smiled sweetly, "Natalia, you should know by now that I don't do what people tell me. So shush, let's do whatever we're going to do and worry about it all later."

George shrugged at Fred who looked a little impressed, before launching into their latest ideas about how to piss of Umbridge, and now that Dumbledore was gone they could pretty much do anything without fear of significant consequences. 

"That's not even remotely how that works but I see your line of thinking," Lily interjected, making the twins exchange glances. 

"Oh, so that's not actually your thinking, got it," Natalia muttered to George who simply smirked at her. "Whatever, I'm in. I feel like letting off steam having things fly around her office. Where do we start?"

Lily looked at Natalia in wonder. "So- so this is what you do when no one can find you?" 

She looked at the twins who shrugged. "Pretty much, yeah."

"No wonder you get detention so often. I'm surprised no one's started the rumours about any of you dating yet."

George turned around, quickly leading down the corridor, Natalia following, nearly choking on her own breath, though they had to stop and wait for Fred to finish laughing before they could actually go anywhere.

"What?"Lily asked, frowning.

Natalia smiled, trying to seem innocent. "We're just a little insulted you thought we weren't incredible at avoiding everyone. I mean really, us three? working together? McGonagall nearly fainted when she found out."

Lily silently thought McGonagall was right to be shocked and somewhat suspicious of the three of them; it wasn't a natural alliance, or even one that really made sense, but she supposed that in the middle of everything going crazy, Natalia had probably just wanted a bit of fun, and not at her own expense as it usually was with the twins.


	45. part 2 - 19 - safety precautions

As OWLs drew nearer, Natalia was becoming more and more anxious about the exams, to the point she no longer spent her nights out in the rain relaxing and staring out over the water thinking about her mother, but studying and attempting to get at least some charms right before she had to perform in front of too many people for her to be comfortable.   
Plus her mother would probably define her worth over these results, at least until the NEWT exams. If they were even able to take their NEWT exams.

George hardly spoke to her outside classes, at her instruction, and never in front of any other Slytherins, including Lily and Draco, so the only real time they were ever really able to spend together was outside under the cover of the night sky. 

He joined her, grinning at the textbook she was trying to memorise. "Natalia White, how can I help you?"

"By doing my charms homework before I cry?" She smiled up at him innocently, making him laugh and cast a few charms on the grass before sitting beside her. 

"Nat, Nat, Nat," he shook his head, "that's not going to happen."

She sighed shrugging her shoulders. "It was worth a shot." 

George grinned, gently pulling her textbook out of her hands before giving it a cursory glance and wrinkling his nose slightly. "This isn't English." 

Nat rolled her eyes, "it's my runes textbook." 

He nodded, letting it fall to the floor. "Remind me never to get on your bad side, you might sacrifice me to some ancient gods."

"You were on my bad side for nearly four years and I never even tried to sacrifice you."

He stared at her, slightly in horror, slightly stunned. "Good to know you can do that then." 

She laughed, making him giggle nervously, relaxing a little more into his chest.

"I-" He cleared his throat, and Natalia suddenly became aware of his racing heartrate and fidgeting. She wondered how she hadn't spotted it before, she was usually good with things like that when it came to George. Well, both of the twins really, but especially George. "I need to tell you something."

She sat up, moving slightly away from him, a thousand possible scenarios running through her head in the space of about a second. 

"So me and Fred, we were thinking about our academics, and we think our talents probably lie outside of... well, academics."

Natalia frowned, confused as to where he was going.

"So we're leaving school. With Dumbledore now gone, and our never really succeeding in many subjects, there's no reason for us to stay here."

Natalia felt as though she'd been slapped. "Ouch," she whispered, too quiet for him to hear. 

"Well," George looked down, blushing slightly, not meeting her gaze. "There's you, but I can't just... you understand?"

Natalia nodded. Unfortunately, she did. The twins could make a fortune - and already had - by selling their joke products and sweets, and everything in between, they definitely had enough money now for a shop in Diagon Alley. "I understand. So I suppose... I suppose this is it then."

George's head snapped up, eyes searching her face for any sign of irony or sarcasm, anything to indicate she wasn't serious about them parting ways or good. "Nat- I don't want to leave you."

Smiling, she said, "I know. But you don't exactly belong in an academic environment-"

"That's not what I mean." He shook his head, cutting her off. "I don't want to break up with you. This isn't me breaking up with you." 

It took a second for it to make sense in her head, but eventually, Natalia realised, "oh, so... you still like me?" 

George laughed, "yes, Natalia. I still like you. A lot. And, even with your mother back, I want to make a go of it. I want to see where we end up."

Nat blinked a few times. "I don't want to hurt you." 

"You won't."

"Daphne might." 

George shrugged, "I'll take that chance."

She grinned at him, her cheeks hurting from smiling so hard. "Oh!" her smile dropped off her face as she remembered something. "Just... I need to concentrate, hold on." She closed her eyes, picturing in her mind the box hidden under her mattress. "Accio!"  
It took a few seconds, but eventually, the box landed in front on Nat, albeit a little messily.  
"Well, at least I know I can do that charm." 

She pulled out two near-identical boxes, each with their own markings on them, and opened them facing George. 

"Watches? They look really expensive, Nat." George stared at her.

Nat smiled a little. "Well, it was worth the money because I've modified them. Look, you're a Weasley, and to every Death Eater family, you're blood traitors. I'm not naive, I know there will most likely be trouble for you guys, and I'm in a lot of bad people's good books. Watch," she glanced up at him before taking out the watch she'd had made for him. "It's a regular watch, tells the time, but if you press this button-" She demonstrated, pushing in the button on the side usually made for resetting the time "-I get a notice that you're in trouble." She showed him her bracelet that was glowing a faint red colour. 

"Why two?" George asked.

"Well, if one of you is in trouble without the other there's no use in only one of you having one is there? I wouldn't know if the other was in trouble."

"So, Fred-"

"Fred is your twin brother." Natalia smiled, forcing George to look at her. "Now I know I'm an only child, but I've seen the two of you together. There's no way I'm ever getting anyone hurt either of you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep Natalia." George grinned as she slapped his arm. 

"Shush, and accept my gift to both of you." She laughed and he closed the boxes, packing them back into the bigger box.

"Thank you." He murmured, before closing the gap between the two and kissing her gently. "I'll have your charms homework ready by your class." 

Nat smiled, still not used to the feeling of butterflies or warmth in her stomach that appeared every time he kissed her. "You don't have to."

"Shhh." George grinned before kissing her again.


	46. part 2 - 20 - dramatic exits

With Owl exams nearly over, Natalia was starting to realise that the school year was indeed coming to a close and she would soon have to face certain people that she didn't wish to ever see again. Mainly her mother. 

But she knew she just had to focus on the last exam: History of Magic. The only downside being that Natalia only knew everything about it because her mother had taught her everything since she was small, and she'd have to go back to those lessons at the dining room table to remember everything. 

In all honesty, Natalia knew she was only nervous because it was her last exam, and the one her mother would expect her to perform exceptionally well on. It was a lot of pressure.

Too soon it was time for them all to file into the Great Hall one last time for these exams, their textbooks and bags left unceremoniously outside in the hall. She wondered how the other students got around it, though she never remembered seeing them in the past four years so maybe teachers spelled them away for the duration?   
She shook her head. She had to focus, this was the final exam. 

Natalia stared at the clock at the front of the hall, watching the seconds tick down until they could open the test and start. She sighed, steadying her nerves before opening the pest paper, smiling a little when she saw a question about Wand Legislation and another on the statute of secrecy breach. She began to wonder why she'd ever panicked about it. 

She was about halfway through the fourth question when they heard it: bangs echoing down the halls, whizzes and then silence. Umbridge glared at as many students as she could as she walked down through the aisle towards the doors. She stood there, the students all turning to see what was going on, every single one of them successfully distracted. 

And that's when the Weasley twins crashed the exam.

Firecrackers whizzed around, tormenting students and teachers, creating pretty little effects depending on which was used, the Twins creating absolute chaos on their brooms (Natalia was a little annoyed they stole her idea, but she'd forgive them for what happened next).

The dragon created by the wildfire whiz-bangs fixated on Umbridge, chasing her through the hall and 'ate' her as soon as it caught up to her (Natalia didn't understand why she ran, it was just magic and a few fireworks, not a real dragon) and caused all of her decrees to explode, leaving torn bits of useless paper and shattered glass everywhere. 

The students all raced outside in time to see Fred and George flying off, creating an advertisement for their own prank store with the wildfire Wiz-bangs before disappearing. 

Natalia grinned, cheering along with everyone else. No one would notice in that crowd, no one would care about the Slytherin who hated the Weasley twins in the public eye cheering and grinning over their departure, and if they did?  
Well, it wasn't so bad. Besides, she wanted to cheer for her boyfriend, public or not. 

She smiled at that thought. It always made her smile, and George used to call her 'girlfriend' and himself 'boyfriend' just to see her smile and hear her laugh. It made her happy. He made her happy.

She turned around, ready to go in and out of the crowds, to find Lily who was inevitably annoyed at the crashing of the exam, only to see Harry Potter and a group of others from the DA running off inside the castle. She rolled her eyes, though admittedly she was feeling a little nervous about that.   
Harry Potter disappearing with his friends right at the end of the school year? Definitely some drama going down, most likely something to deal with Voldemort. She sighed, finding Lily pacing in the corridor, wringing her hands and deciding that "those bloody Weasleys were the second worst thing to ever happen to my school career". Nat giggled at her, linking arms with her and grabbing their stuff so they could hide away in the prefect's common room. She'd hardly used it really, but with all the fifth years out watching the spectacle of George and Fred, all talking and gossiping about it, it was definitely the safest place for her and Lily to just hang out without anyone bothering them. Plus, Lily could rant about History of Magic to Nat there, and no one would be there to challenge her to tell them to shut up and get the hell out. 

She watched Draco and a few others from the Inquisitorial squad disappear towards Umbridge's office, their sneaking making her uneasy, but she shrugged it off, trying not to think too much about it.   
She'd deal with those consequences later.


	47. part 2 - 21 - joke's on her

Natalia could barely breathe on the way home. She could feel Draco's anxiety from across the table, his eyes fixated on the scenery outside the carriage window. Neither of them dared speak a word. 

Somehow, Nat was still hopeful, though she knew she shouldn't be. There was no way with her mother back that someone wouldn't get hurt. She kept fiddling with her bracelet, twisting the charms between her fingers, thinking of how George Weasley of all people wanted her. Wanted to make it work.   
After it was all over, if she made it out alive... if they both made it out alive, maybe they could make a go of it. So long as she didn't get tossed into Azkaban for all eternity for being born on the wrong side of the war. She had no doubts that Potter would win. He had every time so far.  
Or, at least, come out of it alive. 

Draco shook her out of her thoughts, startling her a little.  
They were at the platform.

Natalia took a deep breath, grabbed her bags and stepped out onto the platform. Daphne wouldn't dare be here, not with the majority of the wizarding population on the lookout for any of the known Death Eaters still at large. Which included Bellatrix Lestrange as well. Nat wasn't sure how she felt about meeting the most deranged woman to ever walk out of Azkaban. 

As Lucius had been outed as a Death Eater finally, the driver was waiting for Natalia and Draco without Narcissa. Piling their trunks and cases into the back of the car, they refused to speak or even really meet each other's gaze. It was a bit of a journey to Malfoy Manor, one they were both secretly grateful for. It was difficult going home when it didn't really feel like home, and family no longer felt like family. 

Though Natalia wasn't entirely sure that was how Draco felt.   
They'd been growing apart since... well the whole year really. But especially since Lucious had been imprisoned. She had a worrying feeling that Draco was welcoming the darkness, thinking more like a prejudiced pure-blood pillock than the entitled, ignorant prat she actually liked for some reason. 

Eventually, they arrived at the front door, where Narcissa had definitely been watching out for them as she hurried them both inside as soon as they stepped out of the car. Natalia was grateful that neither of them had been forced to ring the doorbell (the Malfoys always kept the front door locked against any and all unlocking spells) as it probably would have made for an awkward interaction between the two. 

They were instructed to go and clean up and get ready for dinner with guests. Natalia knew what that meant, and followed Draco up the stairs. 

"You know you're like a sister to me," Draco spoke barely above a whisper. 

Natalia blinked. She never thought Draco actually felt about her like that, though she supposed he felt more like family to her than anyone else other than her dad. "We're family." 

He turned and looked at her, searching her face. "I don't know what's going to happen now, but I just want you to know that I will always think of you like family. I'll..." He trailed off, but Natalia knew what he was going to say.

"I love you too, Draco." 

They stared at each other for a second, neither wanting to think about what possible plans Voldemort had for either of them, before parting ways to their bedrooms. 

She shuddered, closing the door. Natalia once thought she didn't have a choice, thought Draco was making stuff up when he said she did. But her mother was out, she owed nothing to Voldemort. Draco was the one who didn't have a choice, not anymore.

She showered and dried her hair quickly, not wanting to be too long, before opening the wardrobe to find it full of new clothes Narcissa had bought her. With the Death Eaters using Malfoy Manor a lot of the time for meetings, it was important for them to look good, presentable, and as pristine as possible. In the upper class, appearance was everything, and Death Eaters were no different, even if they weren't upper class. 

She smiled, picking out some designer pastel blue and black dress, with pale blue flats. She stared in the mirror, leaving her hair natural, applying minimal makeup and opening the door to find Draco waiting for her in a suit. She smiled a little, her anxiety rising, and they walked together down to the dining room. 

They each knew their places at the table, but they stood for a second, not quite daring to believe what was happening. For the first time, Natalia was starting to realise that her mother was actually free, was there, and ready to make her life a living hell, even if unintentionally. Nat took a seat beside her mother, smiling, not sure how to react really. 

"It's good to see you." She managed, trying to make it seem genuine. 

Daphne smiled and hugged her (a little awkwardly as they were both sat) and admired Natalia's hair. "You look so like me. You're so like me in so many ways." She fussed over her for a few minutes before food finally arrived. 

However, as dinner was over there was no escaping it, and as they sat in the drawing-room drinking tea or whatever alcohol the others wanted, Natalia took some time to really let it all sink in.

And she realised something. Natalia was right. With her mother back, there was no way she could be happy, no way she could be with George. She didn't have a choice in the matter, with her mother as unhinged as she was, her mind completely set on her plans.   
So the joke really was on her.


End file.
